This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/6959722.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
German hostage appeals for help German hostage appeals for help
(about 9 hours later)
A German engineer held hostage by the Taleban has appealed for help in a video broadcast on a private Afghan television channel, reports said. A German engineer held hostage by the Taleban has appealed for help in a video broadcast on a private Afghan television channel.
Rudolf Blechschmidt was seen lying on a sheet on the ground, clutching his chest and coughing on the video.Rudolf Blechschmidt was seen lying on a sheet on the ground, clutching his chest and coughing on the video.
He was seized on 18 July in Wardak province in south Afghanistan. He was seized on 18 July in Wardak province in southern Afghanistan.
Another German engineer, who was kidnapped with him, died of a heart attack. Last month, the Taleban claimed that they had killed both the hostages.Another German engineer, who was kidnapped with him, died of a heart attack. Last month, the Taleban claimed that they had killed both the hostages.
The Afghan foreign ministry had contested the claims, they said they believed one of the engineers to be alive. But the Afghan foreign ministry contested the claims, saying that they believed one of the engineers still to be alive.
Call for helpCall for help
"I live in the mountains with the Taleban 3,000 metres high and the Taleban try to negotiate with the Afghan government, but the government [will] not talk with the Taleban and the Taleban tried to get in connection with the embassy to release us, but if the time is over they want [to] kill us," news agency Reuters quoted him as saying in the video. "I live in the mountains with the Taleban 3,000 metres high and the Taleban try to negotiate with the Afghan government, but the government [will] not talk with the Taleban and the Taleban tried to get in connection with the embassy to release us, but if the time is over they want [to] kill us," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying in the video.
"We live in the mountains, very high in a very bad condition, please help us," he added."We live in the mountains, very high in a very bad condition, please help us," he added.
The agency said the video was aired on private Afghan channel Tolo TV and that the hostage spoke in English. The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul says that 62-year-old Mr Blechschmidt appeared to be in poor health, and was slumped over on one side while coughing uncomfortably.
Last month, a Taleban spokesman said they had killed the two engineers as Germany had ignored a demand to withdraw its 3,000 troops. In a separate video clip he was shown standing outside in a mountainous area with a group of Taleban fighters pointing their guns directly at him.
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. A number of Afghans also kidnapped in the same incident more than five weeks ago were also shown speaking on the tape.
Our correspondent says that kidnap has become a tactic the insurgents have been using more regularly.
Nineteen South Korean church volunteers are still being held elsewhere in the country.
Demands to free those held hostage vary from prisoner release to the withdrawal of German forces.
Mr Blechschmidt's video was aired in English on the private Afghan channel, Tolo TV.
Last month, a Taleban spokesman said they had killed the two engineers as Germany had ignored a demand to withdraw its 3,000 troops.Last month, a Taleban spokesman said they had killed the two engineers as Germany had ignored a demand to withdraw its 3,000 troops.