Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

8 Korean Hostages Freed

Taliban freeing prisoners after reaching a deal with South Korea

By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 29, 2007 6:56 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Taliban released eight hostages today, a day after reaching a deal with the South Korean government. Three who were released earlier this morning were brought to the town of Ghazni by tribal elders—acting as mediators—then handed over to the Red Cross. South Korea has agreed to pull out its troops from Afghanistan (as already planned) and stop its citizens from traveling there.

A ransom may also have been paid, although there has been no official mention of that. The Taliban has said all of the remaining hostages will be released. Two women had already been released, and two men had been executed. The hostages were part of a Christian charity group.

A released South Korean hostage smiles in the vehicle of the International Committee of the Red Cross, after they were released by the Taliban in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007.  Taliban militants released eight South Korean hostages on Wednesday, the first of 19 captives...
A released South Korean hostage smiles in the vehicle of the International Committee of the Red Cross, after they were released by the Taliban in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday,...   (Associated Press)
A South Korean woman hostage is accompanied by a foreign staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross   as she and other four hostages, unseen,  were released, by the Taliban,  in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
A South Korean woman hostage is accompanied by a foreign staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross as she and other four hostages, unseen, were released, by the Taliban, in Ghazni province,...   (Associated Press)
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a freed female South Korean hostage, center, is assisted by a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007.   Taliban militants released eight South Korean hostages on Wednesday,...
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, a freed female South Korean hostage, center, is assisted by a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Ghazni province, west...   (Associated Press)
Three released South Korean hostages are seen in an international Red Cross vehicle after they were released by the Taliban in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Three released South Korean hostages are seen in an international Red Cross vehicle after they were released by the Taliban in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007....   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Taliban: We Kidnapped 50 Afghan Cops

Entire Afghan Police Station Defects to Taliban

Taliban Offer Kidnapped Doc for MIT Terrorist

Hostage Tricks Captors Into Twitter Access

Afghan Kidnappers Release Guardian Journo


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne