Deadline expires, no word Taliban's SKorean hostages

GHAZNI (AFP) - A Taliban deadline of noon (0730 GMT) Monday for the Afghan government to agree to free rebel prisoners to save the lives of 22 South Koreans expired but there was no word on the fate of the hostages.

Spokesmen for the Islamic militia and the government-appointed negotiating team had turned their telephones off and could not be reached for comment.

A Taliban spokesman said Sunday the government had until noon to agree to release certain jailed militants otherwise it would start killing the 22, who include 16 women.

The government has rejected the demand.

The rebels earlier set four other deadlines but they expired without incident. They shot dead on Wednesday the leader of the Christian aid group captured on July 19, saying he was killed because talks had stalled.

The head of the negotiating team, Mahmood Gailani, told AFP earlier Monday that the talks had deadlocked over the prisoner demand.

"The talks are going nowhere right now. Maybe they will not succeed," he said.

An Afghan official told AFP on condition of anonymity Monday that the government could resort to military action to free the South Koreans should talks fail.