Taliban will release hostages Monday: Afghan governor

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (AFP) - Taliban militia holding 21 South Korean aid workers hostage said they will release two women captives on Monday, the governor of Afghanistan's Ghazni province announced late Sunday.

"The Taliban have promised us that they will release two of the female hostages on Monday," said Mirajuddin Pattan, governor of the province of Ghazni where the Christian aid workers were seized three weeks ago.

Pattan was speaking after an earlier Taliban pledge to release the two women on Sunday failed to materialise by nightfall as a third round of talks to release all 21 hostages ended with no announcements.

The hardline Islamic militia could not be reached for confirmation.

The militants seized 23 aid workers July 19 as they were travelling on a key road in Ghazni. They have killed two and threatened to murder more if their demand for Taliban fighters to be released from jail is not met.

Two Taliban negotiators held a third round of talks with a South Korean delegation in Ghazni, a small town 140 kilometres (90 miles) south of Kabul, the governor said.

"We are not aware of the details since we are only providing security for talks and are not involved directly," Pattan said.

Authorities barred journalists from the talks' venue, the local headquarters of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and warned them against attempting to do any interviews or take any photographs in the town.

Taliban commander Abdullah Jan said earlier Sunday the two women, both reportedly ill, would be released within hours.

"God willing, they will be freed this afternoon as a gesture of good intention from the Taliban leading council," said Jan, the commander for the Qarabagh district where the South Koreans were abducted.

The Taliban first announced the release on Saturday but hours later the regular spokesman for the group, Yousuf Ahmadi, said any delay might have been over "transport difficulties."

Earlier Sunday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Ahmadi as saying: "Our leaders have changed their minds and suspended their earlier decision to free two female hostages."

Ahmadi, however, did not rule out the possibility of a release later. "The plan to release two female hostages first is still valid, but the timing has not been fixed yet," he said.

"There might be confusion and misunderstanding... I hope the situation will be resolved quickly."

Direct negotiations between the Taliban and South Korean negotiators are seen as one of the final options to save the group.

The Taliban have reiterated their demand that jailed militants be freed in exchange for the hostages, a condition the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has rejected, saying it could encourage more kidnappings.