Colombia rebels say freeing all 'prisoners of war'

BOGOTA, Colombia?? Colombia's main rebel group said Sunday it is freeing the last of the government captives it has held for years, and will abandon the practice of kidnapping.

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The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said on its website that it will free 10 "prisoners of war" and says they are the last in their control.

The government says the rebel group holds at least 12.

A liberation could help advance toward negotiations to end the long civil conflict since the government says the group known as the FARC must free all the hostages it holds before talks can start. However the FARC did not say it was abandoning hostilities.

The rebels announced on Dec. 27 that they would free six of the captives, but said a month later that they were delaying the release because of a government "militarization" of the area where it said release was planned. It did not specify the location or set a date.

That announcement, also on the rebel website, prompted President Juan Manuel Santos to issue a tweet: "My God, no more tricks and deception. We don't even know where the hostages are. They haven't provided the coordinates. Free them now!"

Latin America's last major rebel movement, the FARC was founded in 1964. It has been releasing captives piecemeal since early 2008. The new statement assured that the group will give up the practice of kidnapping.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46531705/ns/world_news-americas/

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