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ELN rebels blamed for kidnapping 40 in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Up to 40 people were kidnapped Sunday from a picnic area near a highway by armed members of the National Liberation Army (ELN).

The ELN is the second-largest rebel group in Colombia.

The kidnappings happened between Cali and Buena Ventura, a coastal city, late in the afternoon when several armed men forced tourists who had stopped at the rest area into cars and drove off with them, said Rafael Pardo, commander of the Cali police.

Earlier in the day, 19 government soldiers were killed in the northwest of the country in a clash with members of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC). The clashes came five days before peace talks are due to begin between the government and FARC, the largest rebel group.

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The mass kidnapping recalled the abduction on May 30, 1999, by the ELN of 150 worshippers at a Catholic Mass in Cali. All those hostages have since been released.

"We estimate that about 30 people were taken," said Pardo. Other police officials put the number of hostages between 25 and 40.

The hostages were snatched 10 miles outside Cali. There were no immediate demands for ransom or claims of responsibility. Colombia has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world.

For the first half of this year, 1,750 people were kidnapped, according to Free Country Foundation, a private group. The FARC was responsible for 477 and the ELN 381 of the kidnappings, Free Country says.

Journalist Hector Guzman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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National Liberation Army (ELN)--Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

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