Militants claiming to hold three UN hostages said they would decide yesterday whether to kill them, after declaring that talks on their demands, including the release of Taliban prisoners, had broken down.
Two senior Afghan officials said on condition of anonymity yesterday that security forces were still searching for the hostages, but they had no information about any contact with the kidnappers.
The Jaish-al Muslimeen, a shadowy Taliban splinter group, told The Associated Press on Thursday that Irish-British hostage Annetta Flanigan was "seriously ill" because of the strain of her captivity, and all three were sickened by a diet of little more than cookies.
A purported commander for the group said UN and Afghan officials contacted them by telephone Thursday but were "not ready for negotiations."
"We have decided that we won't negotiate any more, either, because they are not making a serious effort to get the hostages released," a man identifying himself as Sadir Momin said in a satellite telephone call.
The group planned to hold a council yesterday. "Then we will decide whether to kill them or allow more time," he said.
The man was among three purported representatives of the militant group who spoke to reporters. The representatives' claims could not be verified independently.
Armed men abducted Flanigan, Filipino Angelito Nayan and Shqipe Hebibi of Kosovo a week ago in the Afghan capital.
The group's leader, Akbar Agha, said that Flanigan was ailing.
"My friends have told me she is very frightened. She can't speak smoothly," he said. "The Afghan government will be responsible if anything happens to her."
The abductions were the first kidnappings of foreigners in Kabul since the Taliban was ousted in 2001 and sparked concern militants were copying the tactics of their Iraqi counterparts.
The group released a videotape of the hostages Sunday to back its claim of responsibility and has demanded the withdrawals of British troops and the United Nations from Afghanistan in return for the hostages' lives.
Still, Afghan officials doubt the little-known group could have pulled off the kidnappings without the help of a local militia or criminal gang, and authorities have conducted a number of searches.
On Thursday, the group claimed it gave authorities a list of 25 Taliban prisoners, some held at a U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and others in Afghan jails.
UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva thanked the Afghan government Thursday for its efforts to free the hostages. He said the world body was "doing all it can" in support.
PRECARIOUS RELATIONS: Commentators in Saudi Arabia accuse the UAE of growing too bold, backing forces at odds with Saudi interests in various conflicts A Saudi Arabian media campaign targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deepened the Gulf’s worst row in years, stoking fears of a damaging fall-out in the financial heart of the Middle East. Fiery accusations of rights abuses and betrayal have circulated for weeks in state-run and social media after a brief conflict in Yemen, where Saudi airstrikes quelled an offensive by UAE-backed separatists. The United Arab Emirates is “investing in chaos and supporting secessionists” from Libya to Yemen and the Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia’s al-Ekhbariya TV charged in a report this week. Such invective has been unheard of
US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Canada that if it concludes a trade deal with China, he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all goods coming over the border. Relations between the US and its northern neighbor have been rocky since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, with spats over trade and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decrying a “rupture” in the US-led global order. During a visit to Beijing earlier this month, Carney hailed a “new strategic partnership” with China that resulted in a “preliminary, but landmark trade agreement” to reduce tariffs — but
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) purge of his most senior general is driven by his effort to both secure “total control” of his military and root out corruption, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said told Bloomberg Television yesterday. The probe into Zhang Youxia (張又俠), Xi’s second-in-command, announced over the weekend, is a “major development,” Perdue said, citing the family connections the vice chair of China’s apex military commission has with Xi. Chinese authorities said Zhang was being investigated for suspected serious discipline and law violations, without disclosing further details. “I take him at his word that there’s a corruption effort under
China executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including “key members” of telecom scam operations, state media reported yesterday, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Fraud compounds where scammers lure Internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar. Initially largely targeting Chinese speakers, the criminal groups behind the compounds have expanded operations into multiple languages to steal from victims around the world. Those conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times trafficked foreign nationals forced to work. In the past few years, Beijing has stepped up cooperation
RSS