Four guerrillas from rebel group the ELN accused of Thursday’s murder of four Colombian soldiers are captured in Venezuela, El Espectador reported Friday.
Colombian Defence Minister Rodrigo Rivera confirmed that the ELN rebels had been captured in the neighbouring country and that Venezuelan authorities are willing to hand them over.
In Thursday’s incident ELN guerrillas attacked a Colombian Navy boat on the Arauca River, killing four and injuring two others. The attack was originally thought to have been carried out by the FARC.
Venezuelan Minister Tarek El Aissami said, “This shows that terrorists have increasingly fewer places to hide. There are no territories where they can hide.”
Two of the guerrillas had bullet wounds in their backs, but are now stable.
Defence Minister Rivera confirmed that the four guerrillas would be held until Monday when they will be received by Colombian authorities at the airport in Maiquetia.
The Venezuelan Army will continue to search the area for other guerrillas who passed into their territory after the incident.
