'Talks progressing over fate of UN hostages'
Militants threatening to kill three UN hostages claimed today that talks to swap them for jailed comrades were progressing, even as an American general urged a tough line against the kidnappers. st week in police custody had been tortured.
Armed men seized Philippine diplomat Angelito Nayan, British-Irish citizen Annetta Flanigan and Shqipe Hebibi of Kosovo on October 28, the first such abduction in the Afghan capital since the fall of the Taliban three years ago.
Afghan officials believe a criminal gang carried out the abduction and that negotiations have snagged over a ransom demand. But it remains unclear if the kidnappers are working for a militant group demanding that Afghan and US authorities free several prisoners.
Akbar Agha, the group’s leader, today said that it had held “successful talks” over the past four or five days with Afghan and UN officials.
Agha said a mediator had assured them some prisoners would be freed but that the Afghan government was struggling to obtain the release of others in American custody.
“We had already hinted to them that we can be flexible in our demand for the release of the 26 prisoners,” Akbar said. “We have even discussed the formalities of how to exchange the hostages for our people.”
An American spokesman this week refused to rule out that the US might release some prisoners. It is unclear who is holding the 26 sought by Jaish-al Muslimeen.
But US officials have warned that any deal could encourage more Afghan militants to copy a tactic used by insurgents in Iraq.
