The Taliban would release another seven South Korean hostages
soon today, said a Taliban delegate Mullah Bashir? .
Bashir, who had been engaged in direct talks with South Korean
officials, said the hostages would be handed over to officials of
the International Committee of the Red Cross through a tribal elder
within hours in Arzo village near Ghanzi city, the capital of
Ghazni province.
Earlier today, Taliban militants freed three female hostages,
and they have arrived in Ghazni city and met South Korean
officials.
The Taliban and South Korean authorities reached an
agreement?yesterday, which said all 19 South Korean hostages
would be released in the coming days without the release of Taliban
prisoners.
In return, the South Korean government promised to withdraw all
its 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and to
forbid all Christian activities in this country.
A total of 23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants
on a road in the central Ghazni province on July 19.
Taliban rebels shot dead two male hostages on July 25 and July
30 separately to press Afghan and South Korean authorities to meet
their main demand, which was the release of some Taliban
prisoners.
Two female hostages were released on Aug. 13 as the Taliban
claimed it wanted to show "a good gesture" toward South Korean
authorities.
The Afghan government has all along refused to release Taliban
prisoners as the Taliban has demanded to exchange for the remaining
19 hostages.
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2007)
