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Colombian officials have confirmed that 34 soldiers were kidnapped after a military operation against FARC rebels.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Colombian Communist Party. Originating from peasant self-defense groups in rural Colombia, FARC initially claimed to be fighting for land reform, social justice, and an end to government corruption. Over decades, the group evolved into the largest insurgent force in Latin America, financing its operations through kidnapping, extortion, and involvement in the drug trade (activities that led to widespread accusations of terrorism, human rights abuses, and crimes against civilians). Despite signing a peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016 that led to its official demobilization, some factions refused to sign on to the agreement and continue armed operations, often intertwined with criminal networks and narcotrafficking.

Getting into it: The kidnapping occurred on Sunday in the remote jungle municipality of El Retorno, in Colombia’s southeastern Guaviare province, following an armed confrontation between the military and the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a dissident faction of the now-defunct FARC rebel group. During the operation, government forces killed 11 rebels, including a commander identified as Willington “Dumar” Vanegas Leyva, a close associate of EMC’s top leadership. As the soldiers attempted to evacuate the area, they were surrounded by armed civilians who blocked their exit and demanded the return of the fallen commander’s body.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said, “People dressed in civilian clothes claim to be holding a group of soldiers. But this is not a detention, it is a kidnapping, because they are being held against their will.” Officials have suggested that the civilians were acting under the influence or direct orders of EMC rebels. “These people are interrupting a military operation against the principal threat in the region,” Sánchez said during a press conference.

Admiral Francisco Cubides, commander of the Armed Forces, supported that view, saying, “The people say it is a humanitarian corridor. What they are really doing is blocking the protection of other Colombians.” Authorities are treating the incident as a deliberate obstruction of the military’s operations and a violation of international humanitarian law, with Sánchez emphasizing that “using civilians as human shields is a crime.”

The Colombian government has mobilized all available resources to secure the release of the kidnapped troops and has called for international support. In addition, a reward of $5,000 has been offered for information leading to the rebel commanders behind the incident.