Colombian rebels take 40 tourists hostage

SANTAFé DE BOGOTá, Colombia, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Colombian guerrillas have kidnapped an estimated 40 tourists in northern Antioquia province, the BBC reported Saturday.

Army sources said rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia stormed a spa near San Rafael and forced vacationers into vehicles.

The Colombian government had previously cancelled police leave for the holiday. It promised 120,000 security forces to be on alert.

However, that didn't stop the rebels from taking their hostages into nearby mountains, the BBC said.

The mass kidnapping came as statistics revealed a 38 percent drop in abductions in 2004.