Taliban extend deadline yet again

The Taliban yesterday gave 23 Korean hostages another 24 hours to live to allow the South Korean government to open direct talks with the kidnappers, a Taliban spokesman said.

Spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said negotiations with the Afghan government were going nowhere and South Korea had until 1430 GMT today to agree to withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan. Unless it did so, the Taliban would start killing the captives.

It was the second time the Taliban had extended their deadline by 24 hours.

Mr Yousuf said a German hostage the Taliban had said they had killed was still alive along with four Afghans and they were still held hostage.

Neither Germany nor South Korea has shown any sign they might give in to Taliban demands and pull their troops out, nor has Kabul indicated it would release Taliban prisoners as also demanded by the Islamist guerrillas.