By Jeremy McDermott BBC correspondent in Bogota

Colombian troops have rescued safe and sound a 14-year-old boy kidnapped by guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN).

The ELN had disowned the abduction and said that the boy would be freed.

Uribe is maintaining a tough line

Hardline President Alvaro Uribe told his security forces he wanted results - and he got them.

Security forces have continued to pursue the kidnappers, two of whom were killed and another two arrested.

Kevin Alexander Rojas' kidnapping last Thursday from a school bus caused indignation in Colombia, a country hardened to one abduction every three hours.

Five thousand children had marched in protest in the town of Ocana near the Venezuelan border where Kevin was snatched.

The army tracked the kidnappers to a rural area outside Ocana and a raid was launched, which resulted in the killing of two of the kidnappers.

Kevin was unharmed in the operation.

The ELN high command had condemned the action by some of its militiamen and ordered the boy's release.

But security forces were not going to wait for vague rebel promises and struck as soon as they had confirmed the boy's whereabouts.

No concessions

The ELN is looking to start a peace process with the Uribe administration.

But the president has already made it clear he will not make any concessions to the group, but has demanded a ceasefire before serious talks can begin.

The latest rescue shows that President Uribe's boosting of the armed forces and the sweeping new powers he has given them can have positive results.

He has silenced, for the moment anyway, the claims by non-governmental organisations that human rights is taking a back seat as the president takes the offensive against the country's illegal armies and their 38-year war on the state.