Authorities in the department of Nariño reported Friday that 29 military personnel have been released almost 40 hours after they were held in a rural area by local community inhabitants in response to the arrest of two of their neighbors whom they accused of belonging to an illegal group.
The Secretary of Government of Nariño, Juan Pablo Llanos, explained that following the intervention of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Organization of American States (OAS), the soldiers have been released after almost two days held in an educational center located in a conflict area in the south of the municipality of Tumaco.
Llanos said that the soldiers had been held due to an army operation earlier this week that resulted in the arrest of «two individuals» and the seizure of «military equipment and elements alluding to illegal armed groups» as well as cash.
At the same time, Llano has denied the information that in the last hours appeared in social networks denouncing alleged mistreatment of these soldiers. «At no time were they treated badly», he stressed.
«We are informed that they are in good health condition and the community also respects the soldiers», said Llanos, who pointed out that they were not «subjected» to situations of hunger or overcrowding, reports RCN radio station.
