The charred bodies found near a military base in Ecuador are those of four children who went missing while playing soccer, officials said.

Genetic tests conducted on the charred bodies found near a military base in Ecuador confirmed that they were of four children kidnapped by soldiers three weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.

The disappearance of the boys, between the ages of 11 and 15, sparked protests in the South American country, which is witnessing an armed conflict between the two countries. Drug gangs and security forces.

Saul Arboleda, Stephen Medina and brothers Josue and Ismael Arroyo were playing soccer in the western city of Guayaquil on December 8 when they disappeared.

“The results of genetic forensic tests confirm that the four bodies found in Tora belong to the three teenagers and the boy who disappeared after a military operation on December 8,” Ecuadorian Public Prosecution wrote on social media.

An unverified video released by the Ecuadorian Congress shows a group of soldiers putting one of the minors in a car and beating him, while another is seen face down.

Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said the soldiers who were on patrol were responding to a call for help due to a robbery.

The military says the children were released the same night they were detained, and that gangs are responsible for their disappearance, the Associated Press reports.

The incident led to widespread discontent in Ecuador, where kidnapping, extortion and murder are now common.

The father of one of the boys said his family received a phone call on the night of their disappearance, putting Ismail on the phone. The boy said that the soldiers chased them, took them, and beat them.

Later, relatives obtained two locations via WhatsApp, one in the town of Tura, where there is a military air base, and the other near a shrimp farm.

An anonymous caller told the family that criminals had kidnapped the boys.

On December 24, the charred remains of four bodies were found near the Tura base, raising fears that they were missing boys, although officials said at the time that DNA tests were necessary.

The prosecution’s statement on Tuesday confirmed that the bodies were those of teenagers.

Early last week, the authorities raided the Toura base and confiscated the phones of 16 soldiers suspected of involvement in the disappearance of minors, as well as the vehicles used to transport the minors.

On Tuesday, a criminal court ordered the detention of the soldiers who were placed in military custody.

They are being investigated for the forced disappearance of the boys, which carries a prison sentence of up to 26 years if convicted.

The soldiers claim that they released the boys in the area after a short detention and that the four were alive and well at the time.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement on behalf of the government that it “deeply regrets” confirming that the bodies are those of the missing teenagers.

She added: “We reaffirm our commitment to the truth, so that this case is dealt with in complete transparency until we find those responsible for this murder.”

Dozens of relatives, neighbors and activists, waving banners, organized a protest outside the court, demanding that the soldiers be imprisoned.

Last January, President Daniel Noboa announced Situation of “internal armed conflict” After a brutal wave of violence, sparked by an escape from the prison of a powerful crime lord.

This step came after Armed men stormed the place and opened fire In a television studio, bandits threatened to randomly execute civilians and security forces. The public prosecutor was later investigating the assault He was shot dead.