Taliban free German hostage in Afghanistan-source

KABUL, Oct 10 (Reuters) Taliban rebels have freed a German hostage in Afghanistan after more than two months of captivity, said a diplomatic source who declined to named.

''I have just heard that he has been freed and will be in the German embassy this evening,'' said the source.

The private Afghan news agency Pajhwok also said the German and five Afghans kidnapped with him in July had been freed.

The German, identified as Rudolph B., and the five Afghans were seized along with another German in Wardak province, just southwest of the capital Kabul, in July.

The Taliban kidnappers shot dead the other German soon afterwards after he suffered a heart attack.

The Taliban had demanded Germany withdraw its more than 3,000 troops from Afghanistan, something Berlin flatly refused to do.

The local Taliban leader behind the kidnap, Mullah Nizamuddin, released the captives in exchange for his father and three supporters arrested by the government after the incident, Pakhwok said.

REUTERS PD PM1854