Taliban says will free two SKoreans Monday

KABUL (AFP) - The Taliban said they will hand over two South Korean women held captive in Afghanistan for more than three weeks to the Red Cross on Monday at 1130 GMT.

"Two female hostages will be freed and handed to the Red Cross office at 1600 local time," Yousuf Ahmadi said.

The statement is the latest from the Taliban promising to release two of 21 South Korean hostages following face-to-face discussions with a South Korean delegation.

Taliban representatives have said two women in ill health would be released as a "goodwill gesture" to prove their integrity following the discussions.

Negotiations over the fate of the Christian aid workers entered their fourth day Monday in the town of Ghazni, about 140 kilometres (90 miles), south of Kabul, Ghazni province police chief Alishah Ahmadzai told AFP.

He said that authorities were hoping the hardline Islamic militia would fulfil promises made over the weekend to free the two women.

The negotiations have been taking place at the office of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, which is aligned with the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Ghazni town.

For a second day Monday, authorities barred journalists from the talks venue.

The Taliban have shot dead two of the hostages captured in Ghazni province on July 19 because the government had not agreed to its demand to free Taliban prisoners from jail.

The hardliners have threatened to kill more of the captives.