Troops Seek 7 Colombian Tourists Reportedly Seized by Guerrillas
Troops backed by helicopters searched Sunday for seven Colombian tourists kidnapped by Marxist rebels as they celebrated Christmas at a lakeside spa, authorities said.
Rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, raided a cluster of bungalows late Friday near San Rafael, 140 miles northwest of Bogota, and herded the vacationers into vehicles, said Jorge Mejia, deputy governor of Antioquia state. He said the kidnapped tourists were all from Colombia.
Witnesses did not report the kidnapping until late Saturday, giving the guerrillas plenty of time to reach their hide-outs deep in the surrounding mountains, officials said.
Army troops and counterinsurgency police forces had had little success with the search as of Sunday afternoon, police said.
The tourists were kidnapped despite added security on highways and at popular tourist spots during the holiday season.
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