By IRNA
Islamabad : Taliban are likely to free Korean hostages on Sunday after they reached an understanding with Saudi and Korean diplomats in a meeting on Saturday, sources said.
The Saudi and Korean diplomats met with Taliban negotiators in Ghazni, Afghanistan, to secure the release of 19 Koreans, mostly women, who are still hostages with Taliban.
Taliban spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousaf Ahmadi when contacted said he has not received any information from the leadership about the release of Koreans on Sunday.
But also he did not deny when asked about reports that the Koreans are to be freed on Sunday.
He however said the reports are so for speculative.
“I have not been given any new information by the leadership to share it with the media. But I promise to share with media if I receive any new information,” Ahmadi said when reached at his Afghan mobile in Afghanistan.
There was no word on the new development from Korean and Saudi officials.
Taliban kidnapped 23 Koreans from Ghazni last month when they were going to Kabul from Kandahar in a bus.
Taliban later killed two male hostages after the Afghan government refused to free 8 Taliban prisoners.
Sources said Taliban agreed to free the hostages in a meeting with Koreans and Saudi diplomats in Ghazni when they were told that Korea will withdraw its troops in few weeks.
South Korea has 100 soldiers in Afghanistan and it had already set December this year for their withdrawal.
Sources said that Korean officials have also agreed to withdraw soon its people who are allegedly engaged in preaching Christianity in Afghanistan.
Taliban will free Koreans after accepting these conditions, the sources said.