ELN offers to free soldiers:

Colombia’s second largest guerrilla group said Monday it was prepared to release two captured soldiers as soon as possible if the government agreed to safe passage for the handover.

Colombia’s defense ministry responded on its Twitter account that the captives had to be freed unconditionally.

The soldiers were captured by the National Liberation Army (ELN) during an attack three weeks ago in the northeastern department of Boyaca in which 12 other government troops were killed.

“The ELN ratifies its willingness to free the prisoner-of-war soldiers as soon as possible,” the guerrilla group said in a statement.

For it to do so, it said the government must “guarantee the security and terms of the handover to a humanitarian commission, without the presence” of Colombian security forces. (AFP)