Taliban releases two women Korean hostages

By Xinhua

Kabul : The Taliban has freed two women South Korean hostages Monday afternoon, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) quoted a Taliban member as saying.


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The two hostages were freed in Andar district of Ghazni province of Afghanistan, said Masoom, spokesman for Taliban commander Abdullah Jan, who is believed to be holding the South Koreans, according to PAN.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi confirmed the release of the two women, who were reported to be seriously ill, PAN reported.

A Seoul despatch said a South Korean official also confirmed the release of the two hostages Monday.

The two women were among the 23 South Koreans kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in Ghazni on July 19. Taliban rebels killed two male hostages on July 25 and July 30 separately to press Afghan and South Korean authorities to meet their demands.

But the Afghan government has refused to release Taliban prisoners in exchange for the hostages.

Taliban militants have carried out frequent kidnappings in Afghanistan over the past two years, and some hostages have been killed.

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