Nine hikers shot dead in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- The bodies of nine hikers on an excursion near a national park in southwest Colombia were found at the bottom of a ravine, authorities said Wednesday. They had all been shot execution-style.

National police chief Gen. Ernesto Gilibert said it was too early to speculate on who killed the hikers near the Purace National Park, home to a majestic, snowcapped volcano. All of the victims -- three women and six men -- were Colombians.

The bodies were discovered Tuesday, and authorities initially believed they had stumbled upon a massacre of peasants -- almost a daily occurrence in a 37-year war that pits leftist guerrillas against the military and right-wing paramilitary groups.