Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Afghan army prepares strike

It says the mission is unrelated to the search for South Korean hostages in the same area.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published August 2, 2007

GHAZNI, Afghanistan - The Afghan army dropped leaflets Wednesday warning of impending military action in the region where Taliban militants are holding 21 remaining South Korean hostages, though the army said the operation is not connected to the captives.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said today that his country and the United States have ruled out the possibility of military rescue operation. The statement came hours after the Afghan military denied media reports that claimed there had been a rescue attempt.

Another deadline passed at noon with no word that any of the hostages had been killed, while the local governor said the Taliban militants had agreed to a face-to-face meeting requested by South Korea's ambassador. Two hostages have already been killed, though several deadlines have passed with no killings.

In Ghazni province, where 23 South Koreans were kidnapped on July 19 while driving from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar, Afghan soldiers in helicopters dropped leaflets telling citizens to move to government-controlled areas to avoid military action.

Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said the mission, the start of which could be days or weeks away, had been long-planned and had no connection to the Korean kidnapping case. But a show of military force could place the kidnappers under further pressure.

Gov. Marajudin Pathan said the Taliban agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Korea's ambassador to Afghanistan, and officials were looking for suitable location to hold it. Pathan said he did not know when the meeting would happen.

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to speak for the Taliban militants, said after the noon deadline passed that the remaining 21 hostages were still alive, though two female captives were gravely ill and could die at any time.

He reiterated that the militants still wanted their key demand met - the release of Taliban prisoners in exchange for the lives of the Koreans.

Ahmadi said Mullah Omar, the Taliban's elusive leader, appointed three members of the Taliban's high council to oversee the hostage situation and they have the power to order them killed at any time.

Dr. Mohammed Hashim Wahwaj, who heads a private clinic, said Afghan doctors would try to visit the hostages Friday and take them medicine. Wahwaj said he did not have permission from the militants and did not know if the attempt would be successful.

Judges slain: The bodies of four Afghan judges who were kidnapped 11 days ago were found Wednesday in a mountainous area of the province, Ghazni police chief Ali Shah Ahmadzai said. It is not cleared who kidnapped or killed them.

[Last modified August 2, 2007, 01:35:10]