They dared to come to Afghanistan as Christian missionaries. “Taleban set a new deadline for Christians,” by Tim Albone for the TimesOnline (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):
Taleban rebels extended by 24 hours last night a deadline for the execution of 23 South Korean Christians held hostage in southern Afghanistan.
The insurgents had originally said that if 23 Taleban prisoners were not freed by 7pm yesterday all the members of the group, which includes 18 women, would be killed.
The extension was agreed after negotiations between the Taleban and South Korean and Afghan authorities. It also emerged that Afghan and US troops had surrounded a Taleban hideout in the province of Ghazni, where the Koreans were captured. General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry, said: “As soon as we receive the order, we will start the operation.” Taleban insurgents said that if military action was taken they would kill the hostages.