Farc hands hostages to Red Cross

The Farc has waged a 44-year civil war and still holds 700 hostages

Colombia's Farc rebel group has released eight of the 10 hostages it kidnapped last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.

The hostages were abducted from a boat travelling along the River Atrato in the western province of Choco.

Two have been retained and authorities believe a ransom will soon be demanded.

It is the first release of hostages by the Farc since the military rescued 15 high-profile hostages earlier this month, among them Ingrid Betancourt.

One of eight captives released on Thursday, Ana Lucia Chaverra, said her view of the rebels had changed.

"I used to have a different impression about the guerrillas, but now that's changed because they treated us with dignity," she said.

It was the first major operation involving the Red Cross in Colombia since the organisation criticised the government for allowing the use of its emblem to help trick the rebels into handing over Ms Betancourt and the other high-profile hostages.

The BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Bogota says the latest release suggests the Farc has not lost faith in the humanitarian organisation.

"The operation was made possible through discreet dialogue between the parties concerned," said Yves Heller, an ICRC spokesman in Colombia.

"We continue to work as a neutral mediator."

The left-wing Farc has waged a 44-year civil war in Colombia and still holds 700 hostages.