The Taliban has once again issued a deadline for remaining 21
South Korean hostages, which would last until 12:00 PM (07:30 GMT)
on Wednesday, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said
Tuesday.
Ahmadi told Xinhua from an undisclosed place that Taliban
fighters would kill more hostages if their demands are not met.
He also said some hostages now were in very bad condition, and
they may die themselves.
This is the ninth time that Taliban militants have set a deadline
for executing some hostages.
The Taliban spokesman Ahmadi said a second hostage was shot dead
at around 8:30 PM (16:00 GMT) on Monday as the Afghan government
was not serious in the talks. He said the dead body was dumped near
Kabul-Ghazni highway.
Earlier on Tuesday, the police said the body of the killed male
hostage was found in the central Ghazni province, where the
hostages are being held.
The body, which was riddled with bullets, was found in Andar
district on Monday night, Ghazni police chief Alishah Ahmadzai told
Xinhua.
The Taliban has insisted the exchange of Taliban prisoners for
the hostages. But apparently the Afghan government is reluctant to
release Taliban prisoners.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other officials seemingly are
trying to persuade Taliban militants into releasing the hostages by
saying the kidnapping of foreigners especially the female is
against Islam and Afghan culture.
But the Taliban said it would kill more hostages if Afghan
authorities did not free Taliban prisoners.
The Afghan government claims its troops have surrounded the
area, where the hostages are being held, to secure their release.
But the Taliban said it would execute all hostages if the troops
recklessly carried out a storm.
South Korean authorities on Monday repeated that they ruled out
the use of forces to solve the crisis.
(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2007)
