FARC blames Colombia for captives' deaths

[Bacchus39]

http://news.yahoo.com/farc-blames-colombia-captives-deaths-152537591.html;_ylt=AgCWeJAmvFf_sfVun52ItEpvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNsbGNsdjFoBG1pdAMEcGtnAzczOGQ3MDRhLTUxZGQtM2RhZC04MjQ5LWIwZmQ2MjU1MTRjMwRwb3MDMTMEc2VjA2xuX0xhdGluQW1lcmljYV9nYWwEdmVyAzAyNzM4MTQwLTFhYzEtMTFlMS1iZmZlLWQ3OGIwNThlOGNjMw--;_ylv=3

, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's main leftist rebel group is blaming President Juan Manuel Santos' government for the weekend deaths of four security force members who authorities say were cruelly executed when soldiers happened upon the insurgents holding them.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, claims in a statement published online Tuesday that the four were killed during an army rescue mission aimed at preventing the rebels from releasing the captives unilaterally — something the group has done in the past as a goodwill gesture. All of the hostages had been held captive for at least 12 years.

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The insurgents did not refer to the FARC's execution Saturday of the three police officers and one soldier. Colombia's chief coroner said Tuesday that three of the men were shot in the back of the head from a distance of less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) and the fourth was also shot from behind.

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On the day of the killings, Santos said he expected the FARC to blame his government for the four deaths. Human Rights Watch on Monday called the officers' executions a war crime.