Colombia seeks arrest of soldiers

Colombia's vice-president is said to have linked the union leaders with the ELN

The Colombian authorities have ordered the arrest of three soldiers and a civilian in connection with the deaths of three trade union leaders.

They were killed last month during an army operation against the left-wing ELN guerrilla movement in the eastern province of Arauca.

Colombia's vice-president has said the union officials were ELN members.

However human rights campaigners and trade unions say there is no evidence of a link with the guerrillas.

The ELN is one of Colombia's two main rebel groups, which have waged a 40-year conflict against the Colombian state.

The group periodically kidnaps foreign employees of large corporations and holds them for large ransom payments.

It has conducted frequent assaults on oil infrastructure and inflicted major damage on pipelines, and often employs extortion and bombings against US and other foreign businesses.