The last seven South Korean hostages were released by Taliban militants in Afghanistan on Thursday, thus a six-week hostage crisis finally rang down the curtain.
Four hostages including two men were first transferred from a local tribal elder to officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gelan district of Ghazni province.
An ICRC convoy carrying the hostages then drove to another district in Ghazni province, and waited for the last three hostages.
A local tribal elder Haji Zahir, who has been working as a mediator, then walked to a remote village and took back the last three hostages including a man and two women.
Meanwhile, two Taliban members covering their faces walked back with Zahir and read a statement issued by the Taliban leadership.
The statement admitted the kidnapping may hurt the feelings of the South Korean people.
But it defended the abduction by saying the South Korean government has sent 200 troops to help the United States, who it said invaded Afghanistan nearly six years and killed many innocent women, children and old men here.
The hostages would be immediately transported to Ghazni city, the capital of Ghazni province.
On Wednesday, the Taliban freed 12 hostages in three groups, and they later arrived in Ghazni city and met South Korean officials.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong said Wednesday the three in the first batch are identified as Ahn Hye- jin, Lee Jung-ran and Han Ji-young.
The five in the second group are Ko Se-hoon, 27, Lee Sun-young, 37, Lyu Jung-hwa, 39, Lee Ji-young and Lim Hyun-joo.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean national, said he used all possible measures, including holding talks with leaders in Afghanistan and other countries, to help secure the hostages' release.
The Taliban and the South Korean government made a deal on Tuesday, which said all 19 South Korean hostages would be released in the coming days without the release of Taliban prisoners.
In return, the South Korean government promised to withdraw all its 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and to forbid all Christian activities in this country.
A total of 23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in Ghazni province on July 19.
Taliban rebels shot dead two male hostages on July 25 and July 30 separately to press Afghan and South Korean authorities to meet their main demand, which was the release of some Taliban prisoners.
Two female hostages were released on Aug. 13 as the Taliban claimed it wanted to show "a good gesture" toward South Korean authorities.
The Afghan government refused to release Taliban prisoners as the Taliban demanded to exchange for the remaining 19 hostages.
Taliban militants have carried out kidnappings in Afghanistan over the past two years frequently, and some hostages were killed.
Source: Xinhua
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