At least 16 people have been kidnapped in the Pacific waters off the southwest of Colombia Friday, authorities said Friday.
The victims are local fishermen and farmers who were traveling by boat from the port city of Tumaco to Salahonda, Government Secretary of Nariño, Fabio Trujillo, told Spanish news agency EFE.
A source within the Colombian Navy told newspaper El Tiempo that the kidnapping took place. According to this source, two people on the boat were left behind by the armed men.
Radio station RCN said that the army and navy have begun an extensive search for the kidnappers and their victims.
It is the second time a mass-kidnapping takes place in the same area; 20 people were briefly held by an armed group on July 12. The majority of these people were released hours after they were kidnapped.