Fifty-seven Colombian soldiers who were held captive by locals in the mountainous Cauca region have been rescued in a military operation that unfolded without a single shot being fired.

Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the success of what he called "Operation Justice", saying the soldiers had been taken by villagers acting under orders from the EMC rebel group.

The soldiers were captured over the weekend after attempting to airlift a suspected EMC rebel from the area. According to the Colombian military, the unit was quickly surrounded by more than 100 locals, preventing their evacuation.

A second military team sent to support the first was also seized the next day by an even larger crowd, said General Erick Rodríguez.

Sánchez labelled the act as a “kidnapping” and accused the EMC of manipulating local populations to target security forces. "The locals who had seized them had been ordered to do so by the rebels," he said.

While it is not uncommon for soldiers to be temporarily detained by residents in this conflict-prone region, the number of troops held this time was unusually large.

Unlike past incidents where humanitarian organisations brokered the release of security personnel, the captors refused any outside mediation.

This forced the government to deploy heavily armed reinforcements, who moved into the area and arrested 20 people during the rescue.

Military officials said the capture was linked to deep frustrations in the region, where an estimated 90% of residents rely on coca farming for survival.

The coca plant is used to produce cocaine, and soldiers in the region are often viewed by locals as a threat to their livelihood.

The Cauca region continues to suffer under the grip of armed groups, including the EMC, which are involved in cocaine trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion.

Their influence has led to frequent confrontations with the state, and growing tension between the military and local communities caught in the crossfire.