Colombian footballers found dead in Venezuela

The dead bodies of 10 Colombian soccer players have been found in Venezuela after they were kidnapped two weeks ago, according to police.

The corpses were discovered in the western state of Tachira, on the Colombian border, Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said on Saturday.

A number of state authorities and local newspapers are already reporting that the bodies are those of the kidnapped men.

On Oct. 11, unidentified assailants abducted 12 people, including 10 Colombians, a Venezuelan and a Peruvian, while they were playing football.

However, Venezuelan authorities say they are still investigating the matter and cannot confirm the bodies are that of the players.

Tachira's secretary-general Leomagno Flores has blamed the violence on an armed wing of the Columbian left-wing guerrilla group the ELN, led by a guerrilla called El Payaso or 'the clown'.

He said that this has been confirmed by the only survivor of the attack.

"According to information, which we have from the survivor, we know that armed units of ELN were led into Venezuelan territory by their commander Payaso," he said.