Bogota  - Leftist Colombian rebels on Thursday released a former legislator who was taken hostage in 2002, the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed.

Sigifredo Lopez, a former regional legislator in the Valle del Cauca province who was kidnapped on April 11, 2002, was the last politician held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The rebels now hold hostage only police and military officers.

Lopez was expected to land later Thursday in the city of Cali in a Brazilian Army helicopter that picked him up in a rural area of the Cauca province in southwestern Colombia.

Lopez was kidnapped with 11 colleagues and was the only one from the group to survive the ordeal. The others were killed mid-2007, but the details were unclear. FARC claims they died during a clash with armed attackers. Lopez was apparently ill at the time, and was being held at a different camp.

FARC released four hostages - three police officers and a soldier - on Sunday, while the release of former governor Alan Jara followed Tuesday.

In 2008, FARC unilaterally released six former hostages, while a rebel deserted and helped another hostage escape.

Last July, a group of 15 hostages - including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three US contractors - were rescued by the Colombian Armed Forces.

FARC is now believed to hold some 800 hostages, most of them for ransom. There is also a group of 22 police and military officers whom the rebels hope to exchange for imprisoned comrades. (dpa)