Colombian hostages released after years

Left-wing rebels in Colombia have set free more than forty police and army hostages.

The guerrillas, belonging to Colombia's second biggest rebel movement, the National Liberation Army or ELN, had been holding some of the captives for more than three years.

The move follows two weeks of peace talks between the ELN and the Colombian authorities in Cuba.

The rebels want the government to respond with the creation of a demilitarised zone in northern Colombia.

The biggest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- or FARC -- already has its own demilitarised zone.

The BBC correspondent in Colombia says the FARC has been using the area to build up its military strength, and the government has been reluctant to grant a similar safe haven to the ELN.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service