Some of the South Korean Christian aid workers held hostage by Afghanistan's Taliban said they were beaten for refusing to convert to Islam and protecting female captives, a hospital chief said on Monday. "We found through medical checks that some male hostages were beaten," Cha Seung-Gyun told reporters.
Nineteen newly freed South Korean hostages were set to fly out of the Afghan capital on Friday after a six-week kidnap drama, sources close to the arrangements said, after a deal critics fear could spur more abductions. Taliban insurgents freed the remaining seven South Korean Christian volunteers late on Thursday.
Taliban insurgents will release 19 South Korean Christian volunteers they have been holding for more than a month in Afghanistan, South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Tuesday. The announcement followed the resumption of negotiations that had been on hold for two weeks.
.jpg/100x100/)
