Britons released after 9-month captivity

Two British hikers held in captivity by an armed group in Colombia for nine months have been released.

The hikers were on holiday when they were seized in dense jungle on the Panamanian side of the border and marched into Colombia.

They were eventually let go, and found by a park ranger who contacted the authorities.

The BBC correspondent in Bogota says that from a description given by the hikers, the kidnappers would seem to be left-wing Colombian guerrillas who are active in the Panamanian border region.

But our correspondent says it's unclear why the rebels would hold two foreigners for such a long period without issuing any ransom demands. They have now been flown to Bogota and could be back in Britain before Christmas.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service