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22 of 23 Korean hostages still alive
A Taliban spokesman confirmed that the remaining 22 South Koreans held hostage in Afghanistan were still alive, adding that no further deadlines would be set while the group negotiates with the government to free them. A government official also said the Christian volunteers, whose leader was killed two days ago by their Taliban captors, were alive, adding an Afghan delegation was in talks with the militants. They are alive and fine, Munir Mangal, a deputy interior minister who also heads an Afghan team trying to secure the freedom of the hostages, told reporters in Ghazni. Medicines had been sent for some of the captives who are ill, he added. Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said the government had assured the group it would release eight members of the Taliban as part of an exchange deal for the freedom of a similar number of the hostages. They are alive. The talks are going on and we are not giving further deadlines for the government has assured us that it wants to resolve the issue through talks, he told Reuters. South Koreas chief presidential national security adviser, Baek Jong-chun, arrived in Afghanistan on Friday to step up efforts to free the hostages, an Afghan official said. The envoy will meet with the Afghan president at the earliest possible time, a senior South Korean official told AFP, asking to remain unnamed. Posted by: Fred 2007-07-28 |
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