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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Kabul doubts German killing claim | Kabul doubts German killing claim |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Afghan government says it does not believe Taleban claims that the militant group has killed two Germans it abducted near Kabul this week. | The Afghan government says it does not believe Taleban claims that the militant group has killed two Germans it abducted near Kabul this week. |
| The foreign ministry said it believed one hostage had died of a heart attack and the other was still alive. | The foreign ministry said it believed one hostage had died of a heart attack and the other was still alive. |
| Earlier, a Taleban spokesman said the two were killed as Germany had ignored a demand to withdraw its 3,000 troops. | Earlier, a Taleban spokesman said the two were killed as Germany had ignored a demand to withdraw its 3,000 troops. |
| The Taleban later renewed a threat to kill up to 23 hostages from South Korea, captured separately on Thursday. | |
| Foreign ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen told the BBC the Afghan security forces believed one of the two German engineers kidnapped on Wednesday was still alive. | Foreign ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen told the BBC the Afghan security forces believed one of the two German engineers kidnapped on Wednesday was still alive. |
| "We hope that he will be released soon and we are trying our best to get him released," Mr Baheen said. | "We hope that he will be released soon and we are trying our best to get him released," Mr Baheen said. |
| "The information that we and our security forces have is that one of these two who were kidnapped died of a heart attack." | "The information that we and our security forces have is that one of these two who were kidnapped died of a heart attack." |
| Deadlines pass | Deadlines pass |
| Local police said the Germans, whose identity has not been revealed, were seized with six Afghan colleagues on Wednesday in Wardak province where they had been working on a dam project. | Local police said the Germans, whose identity has not been revealed, were seized with six Afghan colleagues on Wednesday in Wardak province where they had been working on a dam project. |
| Germany has about 3,000 troops in the country | Germany has about 3,000 troops in the country |
| German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said Berlin was taking the Taleban's statements "very seriously" but had no independent confirmation "that a hostage was murdered in Afghanistan". | German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said Berlin was taking the Taleban's statements "very seriously" but had no independent confirmation "that a hostage was murdered in Afghanistan". |
| Earlier, Taleban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the first hostage had been killed at 1205 local time (0735 GMT) and shortly afterwards that the second German had also been killed. | Earlier, Taleban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the first hostage had been killed at 1205 local time (0735 GMT) and shortly afterwards that the second German had also been killed. |
| If confirmed, the killings would be the first of foreign hostages since the death of an Indian engineer in April last year. | If confirmed, the killings would be the first of foreign hostages since the death of an Indian engineer in April last year. |
| Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the Taleban would start to kill the South Korean hostages if an equal number of militant prisoners were not freed by Sunday. | |
| He revised up the number of captives held from 18 to 23 but there has been no confirmation of the number from Seoul. | |
| President Roh Moo-hyun urged the release of the South Koreans | President Roh Moo-hyun urged the release of the South Koreans |
| South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared on television on Saturday to say his government was making every effort to secure the safe return of his country's citizens. | South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun appeared on television on Saturday to say his government was making every effort to secure the safe return of his country's citizens. |
| South Korea has already said it plans to withdraw its troops by the end of the year. | |
| The Koreans were taken at gunpoint in Ghazni province while travelling in a bus from Kandahar city to the capital, Kabul, on Thursday. | The Koreans were taken at gunpoint in Ghazni province while travelling in a bus from Kandahar city to the capital, Kabul, on Thursday. |
| They were reportedly Christians on an evangelical and aid mission. At least 15 are said to be women. | They were reportedly Christians on an evangelical and aid mission. At least 15 are said to be women. |
| The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kabul says according to a local district governor tribal elders in Ghazni are trying to negotiate with the kidnappers for their release. | The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kabul says according to a local district governor tribal elders in Ghazni are trying to negotiate with the kidnappers for their release. |
| The seizure was the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001, according to the Associated Press. | The seizure was the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001, according to the Associated Press. |