Colombia rescues police held for 12 years by FARC

Colombian guerrillas on Friday released the second of five hostages they vowed to free -- and the first thing he did was call his wife."He said he was well, asked about his mother, and said that we'd see him here," said Nubia Segura, wife of councilman Armando Acuna, the first of two hostages the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) promised to release on Friday.FARC guerrillas freed a local councilman on Wednesday, and say they will release two more hostages on Sunday.

Colombia's leftist FARC guerrillas released a police officer and a soldier, fulfilling a unilateral pledge to free six hostages over the past week.An International Committee of the Red Cross team flew by helicopter to pick up police major Guillermo Solorzano and army corporal Salin Sanmiguel in a remote area of southern Cauca province.Solorzano told Caracol television during a stopover in the western city of Cali that he was constantly chained during his three and a half years in captivity to prevent his escape. Neither man offered further details about their ordeals.

Colombia's aerial bombing on New Year's Day of two leftist guerrillas camps in southern Meta region left 22 FARC rebels dead, including three unit leaders, military sources said Saturday.The attack on the rebel camps by air force planes and special operations forces on the ground also captured eight members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), five of whom were wounded, General Javier Florez told reporters.

Juan Manuel Santos takes over as Colombia's new president Saturday, with promises to improve the economy and maintain the hardline policies against leftist guerrillas of his wildly popular predecessor.Santos, 58, is the chosen successor of conservative President Alvaro Uribe, who failed in his attempt to amend the constitution and run for a third consecutive term. Uribe leaves office with an impressive 80 percent approval rating."We have high hopes" for the Santos administration, said Uribe at a dinner for visiting dignitaries late Friday.

The Colombian government Marxist rebels who planned to set free two hostages provided "false coordinates" about to the location of the release, which was postponed.Earlier Sunday, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released police officer Carlos Ocampo, who was among three hostages scheduled to be freed. But the other two were kept in captivity.FARC indicated that police major Guillermo Solorzano and army corporal Salin Sanmiguel would be released in the central Tolima region.

The Colombian military said it killed at least 22 leftist guerrillas Sunday in an offensive involving aerial bombardment and ground troops near the border with Ecuador.Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera claimed the government had "dealt a serious blow" to the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels operating in the remote southern Putumayo province."Up to now 22 narcoterrorists have been killed," Rivera said in a phone call to President Juan Manuel Santos made public to local media.

Colombia's president-elect, Juan Manuel Santos (pictured), is set to take office Saturday and faces the task of tackling the country's leftist FARC movement as well as mending relations with neighbor Venezuela.As the chosen successor of conservative President Alvaro Uribe, who is ending his eight years in office with an 80 percent approval rating, Santos enjoys the backing of many Colombians after a stint as defense minister from 2006 to 2009.He has been credited with dealing FARC its worst blow in 40 years of fighting during his spell as defense minister.

Twelve bodyguards for the commander of the leftist FARC rebels have been killed in an overnight military raid, and 10 Colombian soldiers died in separate clashes with the jungle-based guerrillas, officials have said.The air force, army and federal police launched the raid under cover of darkness on the mountainside encampment where Guillermo Leon Saenz -- who goes by "Alfonso Cano" and heads the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- was holed up, the military said.