Colombia probes mass grave for American remains

US investigators are examining remains in a mass grave in Colombia to determine whether they are that of three Americans captured by rebels during a 2003 anti-drug mission, authorities said yesterday.

An informant tipped off the Colombian army in September that the US citizens may be among nine bodies in a mass grave in the central province of Tolima, a Colombian military intelligence official said.

But the grave has only now been located because of heavy guerilla presence in the area.

American authorities sent a team of forensic experts to the site to help with the identification effort, a Colombian army official said on condition of anonymity.

US Defence Department contractors Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell were captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, after their plane crashed while on a mission to locate crops used to make cocaine in southern Colombia in early 2003.

The Americans are an important bargaining chip for the FARC as it considers offers to negotiate a swap of hostages held by the rebels in secret jungle camps for members of the guerilla group held in government jails.

Early this year, the FARC said the three were still alive.