Five released South Korean hostages walk in Ghazni of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2007. The Taliban has already freed another five South Korean hostages including four female and one male in Ghanzi province of central Afghanistan on Wednesday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 30 -- South Korea's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Taliban militants have freed twelve of the church volunteers held hostage in Afghanistan. And a Taliban spokesman says the rest will be released soon.

    The Taliban released twelve South Korean hostages on Wednesday.

    Taliban negotiator Mullah Basher said more hostages would be released and by Thursday all of them should be free.

    Taliban militants handed over the first group of three to tribal leaders. They took the women to an agreed location where they were picked up by officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

    The women have been identified as Ahn Hye-jin, Lee Jung-ran and Han Ji-young. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said they did not appear to have any health problems and they would soon be handed over to South Korean officials in Afghanistan.

    Several hours later, four women and one man were released in a desert. And they were followed by another four.

    To secure the release of the hostages, South Korea reaffirmed its earlier decision to withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. It also agreed to prevent South Korean Christian missionaries from working in the country.

    23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in the central Ghazni province on July 19th. Militants executed two male hostages, but released two women earlier this month.

    (Source: CCTV.com)

12 S Korean hostages freed after long ordeal

    GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 South Korean hostages were released by Taliban militants in Afghanistan on Wednesday after a six-week ordeal, with seven others expected to get freedom in the upcoming days.

    A Xinhua reporter saw a local tribal elder handed the third batch of three female and one male hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Qarabagh district of the central Ghazni province. Full story

    Taliban to release remaining 7 S Korean hostages Thursday

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Taliban would free the remaining seven South Korean hostages in Afghanistan on Thursday, a local tribal elder engaged in talks told Xinhua Wednesday.

    He did not give any more information.

    Afghan and South Koreans were not immediately available for comments.Full story

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