The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have released two Colombian soldiers and vowed to release an army general, in a move that is hoped to revive stalled peace talks.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos hailed the release, stating it was “an important step which shows the maturity of the peace process and the gestures of peace all Colombians demand."

In a statement released from Havana, Cuba, FARC said it had ”fulfilled the conditions of the first phase of the Special Humanitarian Accord and will now focus its efforts on freeing General Ruben Dario Alzate ... and his companions."

The group went on to call for a halt on all Colombian government military activity in area held by FARC, saying,

"We hope the operations led by the defense ministry and the military siege against the civilian population will be immediately suspended so that the release of these individuals can go ahead without any scares."

The Colombian army has been accused by the militants of bombings, deploying troops and of surveillance flight over FARC-held territory. The two soldiers captured in the eastern Arauca province in a reported clash with FARC militants two weeks ago.

FARC stated that military operations in the area had "to be suspended immediately so the liberation of the mentioned people can go ahead without problems and without risks to anyone."

"We think the general will be home for the weekend," FARC commander Martin Cruz told AFP. "The government just has to fulfill the protocol... We have everything prepared on our end."

See our earlier posts:
 
Farc calls for reduced government military presence and international mediators for release of captives (23 November 2014)

FARC militants defend capture of Colombian general  (19 November 2014)