Afghan troops in hostage release bid
The operation comes after the Taliban kidnapped South Korean citizens in a bid to force the early pull-out of troops from the country
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Sunday, 22, Jul 2007 11:49
An international force consisting of the Afghan army and foreign troops have besieged a Taliban-held area in a bid to force the release of 23 kidnapped South Koreans, according to an Afghan defence ministry official.
The exact details of the military operation in the Ghazni province, where the captives are being held, are yet to be confirmed.
The South Koreans were abducted in the country's western province on Thursday as they made their way from Kandahar to Kabul. The Taliban is using the hostages to force the government of South Korea to speed up plans for a withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country.
Seoul has confirmed plans to remove troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year but warned that the kidnapping would not see the government pull out its troops before the announced date.
A delegation of South Korean officials arrived in Kabul on Sunday to boost negotiations for the release of the hostages. They are scheduled to discuss the situation with Afghan president Hamid Karzai.
Meanwhile, local police have confirmed that the body of a German citizen captured by the Taliban has been found. Two German nationals were taken hostage on Wednesday in a similar bid to demand the pullout of the country's 3,000 troops.
The Taliban had previously reported that it had killed both hostages but this report was rejected by the German foreign ministry. The fate of the second hostage is yet to be confirmed.