Bogota  - The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) freed four hostages Sunday, fulfilling the Marxist insurgent group's promise of a unilateral release.

The three police officers and one soldier, who had been held since 2007, were handed over at an undisclosed site in jungles in southern Colombia by FARC members who met with a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations.

No ransoms were paid or other concessions made for the captives, apparently.

The hostages - Walter Lozano, Juan Galicia, Alexis Torres and William Dominguez - were to flown in two helicopters, provided by the Brazilian government for the release, to Villavicencio, 90 kilometres south of Bogota.

The arrival of the captives was delayed by several hours due to poor weather, and increasingly nervous loved ones cheered and wept as the helicopters landed. In an initial statement issued on behalf of the former captives, the four men called for remaining hostages held by FARC not to be forgotten.

Journalist Jorge Enrique Botero, who was part of the commission that received the captives, said that the release was nearly scuttled after FARC rebels claimed to have spotted Colombian government aircraft on the horizon and to have engaged the Colombian Army in combat, with one guerilla killed. The Colombian government denied that any incidents took place.

FARC has said it intends to release another hostage on Monday, former governor of Meta province, Alan Jara, and another on Wednesday, former Colombian parliament member Sigifredo Lopez. (dpa)