Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages being held by leftist rebels have been rescued by Colombian government forces.
That's according to a statement from Colombian Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota. The 46-year-old Betancourt was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC in February of 2003. She holds dual French and Colombian citizenship and was the most high-profile hostage held by the FARC. Colombian officials say she is relatively good health, despite recent rumours of her imminent death. Three US defence department contractors were also among the hostages reported to have been rescued. They were kidnapped by FARC rebels in February of 2003, when the plane they were travelling in crashed in southern Colombia.
(Deutsche Welle)
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