BOGOTA - The United Nations Sunday condemned Colombia's main rebel group for killing four military hostages who had been held for over 10 years.

The UN Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Colombia made the statement, following confirmation earlier this weekend that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had killed the four army officers, Elkin Hernandez Rivas, Edgar Yesid Duarte Valero, Alvaro Moreno and Jose Libio Martinez, after a failed rescue attempt by the Colombian Armed Forces.

"These are crimes against humanity," said Christian Salazar Volkmann, UN rights office representative in Colombia.

Salazar expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and called on all the sectors of Colombia to do more to ensure a solution to ending the conflict for over 40 years and to restore peace in the country.

These irrational acts are not isolated and reflect "a terrible lack of humanity and complete disregard for human life," which must be recognized by the whole society if Colombia wants to sustain peace, he said.

Salazar called on FARC to stop committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law, and appealed to the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to consider a negotiated settlement.

"This office continues to call for a peaceful solution to this conflict so as to guarantee sustainable peace for the Colombian people," he said.