Guerrilla fighters kidnap dozens of soldiers in Colombia

Members of the armed group known as the Carlos Patiño Front have kidnapped four non-commissioned officers and 53 professional soldiers of the Colombian National Army in the municipality of Argelia, in Colombia’s violence-plagued Cauca department.

The army confirmed the incident on June 23, saying the soldiers were captured in the La Hacienda sector of the El Plateado district, a rural area where guerrilla groups have a significant presence, Caliber.Az reports.

The army condemned the kidnapping as a terrorist act that violates human rights and undermines the rule of law. The military said the abduction constitutes several crimes, including kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disorder, and warned that such actions threaten national security.

“We demand their release,” the army declared.

#ComunicaciónOficial | El Ejército Nacional rechaza el secuestro de nuestros 4 suboficiales y 53 soldados profesionales en el sector La Hacienda, corregimiento de El Plateado, del municipio de Argelia, #Cauca, esta acción terrorista:

▪️ Viola DD. HH. y el Estado de Derecho
▪️… pic.twitter.com/vbMOFyiNkY

— Ejército Nacional de Colombia (@COL_EJERCITO) June 23, 2025

The region, near El Plateado in the Cauca department, is a key zone for cocaine production and remains one of the most tense in the country's ongoing conflict.

By Sabina Mammadli