Colombian president says release of army general expected next week

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday that he expected next week to secure the release of five hostages, including an army general, whose capture by the FARC rebels led the government to suspend peace talks.

Santos said via his Twitter account that coordinates for the liberation of the hostages have been received, adding that "I am giving instructions to facilitate the release for next week."

The president did not give further details of the captives or the release.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) insurgency confirmed on Tuesday it was holding army General Ruben Dario Alzate and his two companions captured over the weekend during its routine security operations in a remote area of the western Choco department.

A week earlier, two soldiers were taken hostage in the eastern Arauca department.

Following Alzate's capture, Santos ordered suspension of the two-year-old peace talks, aimed at ending the five-decade-long armed conflict between the rebels and the armed forces, which has claimed some 200,000 lives. Endite