Colombia has placed a 250,000-U.S. dollar bounty on two rebels who allegedly planned to kidnap President Alvaro Uribe's sons, police said Thursday.
Colombia's police director general Oscar Naranjo said they detected an alleged plan by Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to kidnap Tomas and Jeronimo Uribe, an attempt to press the government for a prisoner swap.
"The plan was allegedly headed by rebel chief Oscar Montero, alias 'El Paisa,' commander of FARC's Teofilo Forero column, the group's elite branch," a police statement said.
Another key member of the plan was known as Leiner, it added.
Police agents had telephone conversations that allegedly proved the rebels were following Uribe's sons' movements.
"We have to find out why dangerous members of FARC's Teofilo Forero column are able to use cell phones to receive orders," Naranjo said.
The police have arrested 13 rebels, including four women, responsible for installing three car bombs in southern Caqueta highways. The bombs had been defused.
FARC, the country's largest rebel group with a 17,000-strong force, has held some 50 "interchangeable" hostages and its dialogue with the government to swap them for imprisoned FARC members has been in an impasse despite mediation efforts from some countries.
Source: Xinhua
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