BARRIO (AlJazeera) – The mother of Liverpool’s Colombian winger Luis Diaz has been rescued from kidnappers but the search for his father continues, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said.

Petro posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday that Diaz’s mother was rescued in Barrancas in the northern part of the country.

“We continue in the search for the father,” added Petro.

Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office said they had been working intensely on the case.

“From the moment the Attorney General’s Office learned of the kidnapping of the parents of the Colombian player Luis Díaz, in the Barrancas sector of La Guajira, a specialised team of prosecutors, police and military personnel have been working to find “the location of these people, clarify the facts and find those responsible”, the office said on X.

Local media reports said Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda were at a service station in La Guajira area when armed men on motorbikes took them.

The director of the police, General William Salamanca, said he deployed intelligence agents and other police departments in the area to deal with the case.

The police are “already involved, right now, in carrying out checkpoints, identifying people on motorbikes, private public service vehicles … for the recovery of the two kidnapped people, the father and mother of the footballer Luis Diaz”, Salamanca told Colombian media earlier on Saturday.

La Guajira Governor Diala Wilches condemned the kidnapping and appealed for their return.

“To the kidnappers, we demand that they return them immediately, safe and sound,” she said.

Liverpool expressed concern and said it was supporting Diaz.

“It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”

The 26-year-old Liverpool and Colombia winger has not commented on the matter.

Diaz has played 43 times for Colombia and joined Liverpool last year from Porto.

He has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals.

Diaz did not feature in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League victory over Toulouse on Thursday but had been expected to return for Nottingham Forest’s Premier League visit to Anfield on Sunday.