Army 'surrounds Taleban captors'

[Eugene]

Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Sunday, 22 July 2007, 09:25 GMT 10:25 UK

Army 'surrounds Taleban captors'

Security forces have surrounded the location where Taleban
fighters are holding 23 South Korean hostages, an Afghan
defence ministry official says.

But - amid talks to secure their release - the official said
a military operation had not yet begun to free the hostages
in Ghazni province.

A team of hostage negotiators arrived in Kabul from Seoul
earlier on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the body of one of two German nationals
abducted on Wednesday has been found, local police said.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6910461.stm

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EDIT: Switched stories. The Afghan government just retracted
its announcement of a rescue operation.

Related: Afghan Defence Ministry denies hostage rescue bid - Reuters

Also: Body of German Recovered in Afghanistan - AP

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Source: Reuters

Original headline: Afghan, foreign troops launch bid to rescue Koreans

South Koreans in Afghanistan in bid to free hostages
Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:03AM EDT

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL (Reuters) - A South Korean government delegation arrived
in Afghanistan on Sunday to try to secure the release of 23 of
their countrymen kidnapped by Taliban insurgents demanding Seoul
pull its troops out of the country.

-snip-

The delegation of eight South Korean officials, including a deputy
foreign minister, a special advisor to the president and Foreign
Ministry diplomats, was to meet Afghan officials throughout the
day. It was unclear if they would make any attempt to contact the
kidnappers and try to negotiate their release.

An Afghan Ministry of Defence spokesman denied any operation had
been launched to rescue the hostages. "The operation has not begun
yet," said ministry spokesman Zahir Murad.

Referring to an earlier Ministry of Defence statement which said a
joint operation was underway with international forces, Murad said:
"It must have been a computer error."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSISL14978720070722