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UN hostages freed in Afghanistan
Three foreign UN workers who were taken hostage last month in Afghanistan have been freed unharmed. The exact circumstances of their release remains unclear, though the Afghan interior minister denied any deal had been done with the kidnappers. Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Kosovan Shqipe Habibi and Filipino diplomat Angelito Nayan were abducted at gunpoint from Kabul last month. They had been helping to conduct the recent presidential election. The three were released on Tuesday morning and taken by UN staff to a military base where they were identified and examined by medical staff. Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali refused to confirm whether they were rescued by troops or if the group holding them set them free voluntarily. He said the three had been "abandoned in a location inside Kabul". He insisted there had been no payment to secure their release. "No prisoners were released, no money was paid, no demand was accepted," he said. On Monday, two houses in Kabul were raided in an operation aimed at freeing the hostages. Ten people were detained. American and Afghan soldiers used explosives to smash their way into the houses in the pre-dawn raid. Mr Jalali said one suspected kidnapper was killed and four left wounded in operations on Monday. All the hostage-takers "will be brought to justice", he promised. Posted by: Steve 2004-11-23 |
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