Afghans, Taliban hopeful hostages freed peacefully

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, July 24 (Reuters) The Afghan government and Taliban rebels are hopeful of a peaceful outcome to free 23 South Korean hostages held by insurgents, the two sides said today.

Force will not be used to free the hostages, a local governor said.

The Taliban have extended a deadline to 1930 hrs today, after which they said they would start killing the hostages if South Korea did not agree to withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan and Kabul did not free Taliban prisoners.

The Christian hostages were seized from a bus in Ghazni province on the main highway south from the capital.

The militants have threatened that any use of force by government troops surrounding the kidnappers would put the lives of the 18 women and five men at risk.

Talks with the Taliban through tribal elders were ongoing, Ghazni governor Mirajuddin Pathan told Reuters.

''We are hopeful that this issue is to be finalised today through talks. By no means will military operations be used,'' he said.

Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf was also confident.

''We are hopeful that talks will produce good results today,'' he said.

The kidnappers had conflicting and confusing demands, Pathan said, but they included the withdrawal of Korean troops. Seoul has said its contingent of military engineers and medics will leave Afghanistan as planned at the end of this year.

A delegation of Korean diplomats was in Afghanistan aiding the negotiations.

''Talks have begun with the Koreans,'' Yousuf said. ''The Koreans are talking through tribal elders. We are demanding the release of 30 Taliban prisoners. Korea says it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. That's a good sign.'' Asked about a possible prisoner release, Governor Pathan said the group had not come up with any names and he could not say whether the Afghan government would give in.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen also spoke about progress. ''There has been progress made, but I can't give you any details, because it will jeopardise the lives of hostages and our ties with the rest of the world,'' he said.

A group of 150 people demonstrated in the city of Ghazni today demanding the safe release of the hostages.

RISE IN VIOLENCE Most of the Koreans are in their 20s and 30s, and include nurses and English teachers. It is the largest abduction of foreigners in the Taliban campaign to oust the Afghan government and eject foreign troops.

The Koreans were seized a day after the Taliban kidnapped two Germans engineers and five Afghans southwest of Kabul.

One of the Germans has died, apparently killed by his captors, while the other and four Afghans are still in captivity. The fifth Afghan managed to escape.

''The German is sick, he is suffering from diabetes,'' said Yousuf. ''No one has contacted us about their fate. We want the release of 10 Taliban or the withdrawal of German troops. We have not set any deadline.'' Germany has flatly refused to withdraw its 3,000 soldiers serving with NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The abductions coincide with a rise in violence in the past 18 months, the bloodiest period since US-led and Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001.

The Taliban have kidnapped a number of foreigners and Afghans in recent years. The group has killed some of the foreign and Afghan hostages, but has released others in exchange for Taliban prisoners or the payment of ransom.

The Afghan government came under harsh criticism at home and abroad for freeing a group of Taliban in return for the release of an Italian journalist in March.

It had vowed never to give in to Taliban demands.

The kidnappings risk weakening public support for military involvement among the 37 NATO nations contributing forces to Afghanistan.

REUTERS GT KP1718