Colombia blames kidnap of soldiers on ELN guerrillas

Bogota Three off-duty soldiers were kidnapped by suspected ELN guerrillas on Colombia's northeastern border with Venezuela, authorities said on Thursday. The news comes a week after Marxist ELN rebels offered to release six other hostages, including three policemen and a soldier, taken the day before in a jungle area. The soldiers"were on leave, wearing civilian clothes and unarmed," the military said in a statement. (AFP)