<p>Bogota: The Colombian army and police rescued 57 soldiers <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/colombian-army-says-civilians-kidnapped-57-soldiers-under-dissidents-pressure-3598094">held for two days</a> in a mountainous southwestern region that is under pressure from leftist guerrillas, the military said on X on Monday.</p><p>The troops were detained near the village of El Plateado in Cauca province, a strategic area for drug trafficking where security forces launched an operation in October 2024 to expel illegal armed groups.</p><p>The region is a stronghold of a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla group, which rejected a 2016 peace deal. Authorities accuse the group of recruiting minors and pressuring civilians to resist the presence of state forces.</p>
<p>Bogota: The Colombian army and police rescued 57 soldiers <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/colombian-army-says-civilians-kidnapped-57-soldiers-under-dissidents-pressure-3598094">held for two days</a> in a mountainous southwestern region that is under pressure from leftist guerrillas, the military said on X on Monday.</p><p>The troops were detained near the village of El Plateado in Cauca province, a strategic area for drug trafficking where security forces launched an operation in October 2024 to expel illegal armed groups.</p><p>The region is a stronghold of a dissident faction of the former FARC guerrilla group, which rejected a 2016 peace deal. Authorities accuse the group of recruiting minors and pressuring civilians to resist the presence of state forces.</p>