By DPA
Kabul/Seoul : A spokesman for Taliban militants holding 21 South Korean aid workers in Afghanistan said Wednesday that no more of the hostages had been killed despite expiration of the latest deadline – while both Seoul and Kabul denied that a military operation was being launched to secure their freedom.
Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yusif Ahmadi told DPA however that should violence befall the remaining hostages, two of whose compatriots had already been shot dead, then the governments of South Korea and Afghanistan would be responsible.
No new ultimatum was issued for the militants’ demands – which include the release of eight Taliban prisoners held by the Afghan government – to be met. The Taliban spokesman however did not rule out that a fresh deadline would yet be set.
The latest deadline had expired at noon on Wednesday (0730 GMT).
Ahmadi said two of the female hostages within the group were seriously ill, and that the militants did not have any medication for them.
He welcomed statements from Seoul that the South Korea government was willing to negotiate directly with the militants.
Both Afghanistan and South Korea had earlier rejected speculation that a military rescue mission had been launched. The Afghan army confirmed it had begun an operation against Taliban militants in Ghazni province, but insisted it was not aimed at freeing the South Korean captives.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Youn Soo said in Seoul that the Afghan government would not launch any rescue operation without securing the approval of South Korea, state news agency Yonhap reported.
“We have not approved any such rescue operation,” he said. “We have not been informed of any such action.”
The South Korea government earlier said it had ruled out a military mission but was seeking to engage in direct negotiations with the militants, Yonhap cited government sources as saying.
Efforts to broker a solution to the crisis via talks with the US should also be intensified, Yonhap quoted government officials as saying.
South Korea Wednesday restricted its citizens from travelling to Afghanistan, adding the restive country to the list of nations, along with Iraq and Somalia, which South Koreans would only be able to visit with official permission.
The 23 South Koreans – all members of the Saemmul Community Church – were abducted on July 19 when they were en route from Kabul to the southern province of Kandahar. Two male members of the group have already been killed by their captors.
Meanwhile police in Ghazni province, where the 21 remaining South Korean hostages are believed to be held, on Wednesday found the bodies of four Afghan judges kidnapped two weeks ago as they travelled from neighbouring Paktika province.
“This morning we found the bodies of four judges who were shot dead by enemies of peace and stability,” Mohammad Zaman, deputy police chief of Ghazni province, told DPA.
Recently Taliban militants have kidnapped several Afghan and foreign nationals and pressed the government to exchange prisoners.
On Tuesday, presidential spokesman Hamayuon Hamidzada said the government was doing whatever it could to achieve the release of the hostages without a prisoner swap.
The government released five Taliban prisoners in March in exchange for an Italian hostage held by Taliban. The deal sparked widespread domestic and international criticism.
“As far as the comparison to Italian hostages is concerned, the government cannot make hostage-taking a trade,” Hamidzada said. “We should not encourage kidnapping by accepting their demands.”
“The impact of the previous situations is what we see now, another kidnapping.”