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Army 'surrounds Taleban captors' | Army 'surrounds Taleban captors' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Security forces have surrounded the location where Taleban fighters are holding 23 South Korean hostages, an Afghan defence ministry official says. | Security forces have surrounded the location where Taleban fighters are holding 23 South Korean hostages, an Afghan defence ministry official says. |
But the Afghan deputy interior minister has stressed that negotiations are continuing and no military operation is currently under way. | |
The Koreans were abducted in Ghazni, south-west of Kabul, on Thursday. | |
Meanwhile, the body of one of two German nationals abducted on Wednesday has been found, local police said. | Meanwhile, the body of one of two German nationals abducted on Wednesday has been found, local police said. |
Optimism over talks | |
Deputy Interior Minister Gen Munir Mangal, who is in Ghazni with a delegation negotiating the South Korean hostages' release, told the BBC that talks were continuing. | |
"We have members of parliament, the provincial council and elders from Ghazni, and I am optimistic that they will be freed soon." | |
"There are no military operations. I categorically deny it," Gen Mangal said. | |
A team of South Korean hostage negotiators arrived also arrived in Kabul from Seoul on Sunday. | |
The South Korean hostages were abducted from a bus travelling from Kandahar to Kabul on Thursday. | |
They are reportedly Christians on an evangelical and aid mission. At least 15 are said to be women. A Taleban spokesman said on Sunday that they were in good health. | |
We must assume that one of the kidnapped Germans died in captivity Frank-Walter Steinmeier,German foreign minister | |
The Taleban say they want to swap the 23 men and women for jailed fighters and are also demanding that South Korean forces leave Afghanistan. | The Taleban say they want to swap the 23 men and women for jailed fighters and are also demanding that South Korean forces leave Afghanistan. |
Earlier, Gen Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry, told the BBC: "We have surrounded the area. We haven't launched an attack right now and we are assessing the situation." | |
A spokesman for Nato forces said it was unaware of an operation but was ready to help the Afghan and South Korean governments if asked. | A spokesman for Nato forces said it was unaware of an operation but was ready to help the Afghan and South Korean governments if asked. |
The seizure is the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001. | The seizure is the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001. |
An eight-strong South Korean delegation, including a presidential envoy, arrived in Kabul on Sunday and was meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other officials. | |
Seoul confirmed on Sunday that preparations for its troops to withdraw by the end of the year were under way but that the withdrawal had already been announced and had not been affected by the abductions. | Seoul confirmed on Sunday that preparations for its troops to withdraw by the end of the year were under way but that the withdrawal had already been announced and had not been affected by the abductions. |
German captives | |
Meanwhile, police in Wardak province said they had found the body of one of two German hostages kidnapped last Wednesday. The cause of death is not yet known. | |
The Germans, whose identity has not been revealed, were seized with a number of Afghans in Wardak, where they had been working on a dam project. | The Germans, whose identity has not been revealed, were seized with a number of Afghans in Wardak, where they had been working on a dam project. |
A Taleban spokesman had said both men were killed on Saturday because Germany refused demands to withdraw its 3,000-strong force from the country. | |
But Berlin said it believed one hostage was still alive and the other died of a heart attack or stress. | |
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "We must assume that one of the kidnapped Germans died in captivity. | German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: "We must assume that one of the kidnapped Germans died in captivity. |
"Nothing points to murder, all signs tell us that he fell victim to the strain to which his kidnappers subjected him." | "Nothing points to murder, all signs tell us that he fell victim to the strain to which his kidnappers subjected him." |
One Afghan provincial official said the German who died was a diabetic who had no access to insulin. | One Afghan provincial official said the German who died was a diabetic who had no access to insulin. |
The fate of the Afghans captured with the Germans is unknown. | The fate of the Afghans captured with the Germans is unknown. |