UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon deplored on Tuesday the killing of two of the hostages from South Korea held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"He offers his sincere condolences to the family of the victims and to the Korean people," Ban's press office said in a statement.

"He remains deeply concerned for the safety and welfare of the 21 Korean hostages, the German national and the four Afghans, who are still being detained," it added.

The secretary-general noted that "these hostages include many young women who came to help the people of Afghanistan and they should not be made part of the conflict in that country."

Ban expressed his full support for the Afghan authorities in their "continuing efforts to ensure the safe return of all those being held against their will."

Source: Xinhua