■ El Salvador
Fresh troops head for Iraq
El Salvador was to rotate in a seventh army contingent to Iraq yesterday to replace a unit that has had two soldiers killed and four wounded, defense officials said on Thursday. President Tony Saca presided over the departure ceremony for the 380 soldiers, the defense department said. Saca is a close ally of the US and has been sending troops to Iraq since August 2003, five months after the US-led invasion. The new contingent will replace the same number of soldiers currently based in the southern Iraqi city of Kut.
■ Colombia
Rebels kidnap three workers
Rebels kidnapped two engineers and a helicopter pilot who were part of a seismographic oil exploration crew, authorities said on Thursday. The three Colombians were abducted on Wednesday afternoon in the northwestern state of Choco, Interior Minister Freddy Lloreda said. "We understand that they were carrying out evaluations in the area, looking for places to explore for oil, when they were kidnapped," he said. Lloreda added that Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, was believed to be responsible.
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