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Colombia's FARC rebel group frees kidnapped soldier

Xinhua, December 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Colombia's largest rebel group, which has been conducting peace talks with the government, on Wednesday freed a soldier it kidnapped on Nov. 25 in the country's southwest, authorities said.

Rojas Delgado was freed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and handed over to a humanitarian delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense.

He was found in good health and taken to a military unit in the municipality of San Vicente del Caguan in the southwestern Caqueta department, said the statement.

In a statement on Monday, the FARC said it had formally asked the ICRC to help with the release operation. The solider, who was held hostage for 14 days in a still unknown location in Caqueta department, was accused by the rebel group of conducting intelligence work in the area.

For months, the FARC and the Colombian government have been holding talks to end their 50-year-long armed conflict. They are expected to sign a peace agreement by March 2016. Endi