Nigeria, June 23 -- More than 50 Colombian soldiers were abducted by civilians over the weekend in a volatile, guerrilla-influenced region of southwest Colombia, according to a statement from the Colombian Army on Sunday, June 22.

The soldiers were seized during military operations in the Micay Canyon, a key cocaine-producing region spanning parts of the Cauca Department, long dominated by illegal armed groups.

The first incident occurred on Saturday, June 21, when a platoon of soldiers conducted operations in El Tambo, a municipality within the Micay Canyon.

During the mission, civilians intercepted and detained them. A second incident unfolded the following day in El Plateado, another town in the same region, where at least 200 resid...