South Korean hostages’ fate still unknown

GHAZNI – A threatened Taliban deadline to kill some of the remaining 21 South Korean captives passed without any immediate word on their fate yesterday, while the Afghan army dropped leaflets in the area warning residents of an upcoming military mission.

The noon (07h30 GMT) deadline passed a day after Afghan police found the body of the second hostage to be slain since the 23 South Koreans were seized two weeks ago. Several previous deadlines had been extended by hours or days, but within hours of two of those deadlines, two of the church group volunteers were killed.Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to be a Taliban spokesman, had said the militants wanted eight prisoners released by noon or more hostages would die.Afghan National Army helicopters, meanwhile, dropped leaflets in Ghazni province – where the South Koreans were kidnapped and are being held – warning people of an upcoming military operation in the area.”The Defence Ministry wants to launch a military operation in the area,” the leaflets said.”In order for you to be safe and not be affected by the operation, we call on you to move to secure government-controlled areas.”The leaflets did not say when or where the operation would be launched.It also was not clear whether the planned operation was aimed at freeing the hostages.A Defence Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment.The South Koreans were kidnapped on July 19 while travelling by bus on the Kabul-Kandahar highway.They are the largest group of foreign hostages taken in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power.Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights group, called for the immediate release of all remaining South Korean captives, and accused the Taliban of committing war crimes by taking and killing the hostages.The group said the Taliban have kidnapped at least 41 Afghan civilians so far this year and killed at least 23 of them.The rest remain missing.”The taking of hostages is a war crime,” Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch said in a statement.In South Korea, relatives of the hostages made an emotional appeal to US Embassy officials during an hour-long visit for help in negotiating their loved ones’ release.The families were told their message would be passed on to Washington.Nampa-APSeveral previous deadlines had been extended by hours or days, but within hours of two of those deadlines, two of the church group volunteers were killed.Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to be a Taliban spokesman, had said the militants wanted eight prisoners released by noon or more hostages would die.Afghan National Army helicopters, meanwhile, dropped leaflets in Ghazni province – where the South Koreans were kidnapped and are being held – warning people of an upcoming military operation in the area.”The Defence Ministry wants to launch a military operation in the area,” the leaflets said.”In order for you to be safe and not be affected by the operation, we call on you to move to secure government-controlled areas.”The leaflets did not say when or where the operation would be launched.It also was not clear whether the planned operation was aimed at freeing the hostages.A Defence Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment.The South Koreans were kidnapped on July 19 while travelling by bus on the Kabul-Kandahar highway.They are the largest group of foreign hostages taken in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power.Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights group, called for the immediate release of all remaining South Korean captives, and accused the Taliban of committing war crimes by taking and killing the hostages.The group said the Taliban have kidnapped at least 41 Afghan civilians so far this year and killed at least 23 of them.The rest remain missing.”The taking of hostages is a war crime,” Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch said in a statement.In South Korea, relatives of the hostages made an emotional appeal to US Embassy officials during an hour-long visit for help in negotiating their loved ones’ release.The families were told their message would be passed on to Washington.Nampa-AP