Colombia's Indians: We're king of the hill

Indigenous Colombians who say they are fed up with being in the crossfire of the country’s long-running conflict forcibly removed soldiers from a strategic hilltop, at least temporarily.

Several hundred Nasa Indians massed against the six soldiers guarding the hilltop yesterday. Then a few dozen attacked the soldiers with sticks and rocks. When the soldiers refused to budge, the Indians dragged them off.

One soldier fired about 10 shots into the air in frustration. But no-one was seriously hurt.

The 115,000-strong Nasa tribe have stepped up their campaign in the past week in the south-western state of Cauca to try to force government troops and leftist rebels to leave them alone.

The turbulent region is a corridor for cocaine smuggling and locals also cultivate marijuana.