By Xinhua
Kabul : The Taliban said it would release two of the 21 South Korean hostages Monday, both women, being held in Ghazni province of central Afghanistan.
The two would be handed over to the International Committee of Red Cross at 4 p.m. local time (1130 GMT) in Ghazni province, Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told Xinhua from an undisclosed location.
A total of 23 South Koreans were 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. Taliban militants are still holding the others.
The Afghan government has turned down Taliban’s demand for release of rebel prisoners in exchange for the freedom of the hostages.
Taliban militants have carried out frequent kidnappings in Afghanistan over the past two years, and some hostages have been killed.