PrintJuly 25, 2007
Taliban Execute Hostage
The bullet riddled body of one of the 23 South Koreans being held hostage by the Taliban has been found by Afghan government forces:
The bullet-riddled body of a South Korean hostage was found by police Wednesday in central Afghanistan after a purported Taliban spokesman said the militants had killed one of the captives.There is also a report - unconfirmed - that 8 of the South Korean hostages had been released and were on their way to an American military base. The Taliban is denying this report saying that the Afghan government is trying to get the upper hand in negotiations by leaking news of the release.
The male victim had 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach, and was discovered in the Mushaki area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, said police officer Abdul Rahman.
The Taliban spokesman said earlier that the hostage was was killed because Afghan authorities hadn't met their demands to release other militants from prison.
The South Koreans, all members of a Christian outreach program, were on a missionary trip to Afghanistan when their bus was stopped by Taliban fighters.
Also, AP is reporting that “A German journalist and two Afghans colleagues apparently kidnapped by militants have been freed, an Afghan governor said Wednesday."
