British Woman Kidnapped In Ecuador Jungle

Two female tourists, including one from Britain, have been kidnapped in Ecuador while visiting a remote Amazon jungle nature reserve.

The Interior Ministry said on Twitter that the Briton and Australian were abducted on Friday in the region along the border with Colombia, apparently by criminals from that country.

The women, who were not immediately identified, were abducted while visiting the Cuyabeno nature reserve in the Tarapoa region, in Sucumbios province, officials said.

They were traveling in a canoe as part of a group of seven tourists - five foreigners and two Ecuadorans - and two local Ecuadorans working as guides.

The Environment Ministry had reported the assault on Friday, but said nothing of a kidnapping.

It quoted local people as saying that three members of a Colombian gang of ex-paramilitary fighters known as the Black Eagles was behind the abduction.

Police took the other three tourists to Lago Agrio, the capital of Sucumbios province, the daily El Comercio reported.