A Taliban spokesman said the Taliban released a French female hostage in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan on Saturday.

The woman was released in Panjwai district as "a good gesture" toward the French people, the spokesman who called himself Yousuf Ahmadi told Xinhua by satellite phone from an undisclosed place.

The woman was handed over to local tribal elders, the spokesman said.

He said no Taliban prisoners were released by Afghan authorities to get the woman free.

Taliban militants kidnapped the woman, a French man and their three Afghan employees in the southern Nimroz province on April 3. They all were working for Terre d'enfance (Children's Land), an NGO assisting children.

The Taliban has demanded for the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan and the release of some Taliban prisoners to exchange for the hostages.

Afghan authorities have ruled out the possibility of releasing Taliban prisoners, while the French government said Friday that French troops had no intention to stay in Afghanistan in the long term.

As to the fate of the other four hostages, the Taliban spokesman said "We still hold them and would force the Afghan and French governments to meet our demands."

Source: Xinhua