The fate of 22 South Korean Christian volunteers kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan hung in the balance on Thursday, a day after the rebels shot dead one hostage and dumped his bullet-ridden body near where the group was seized.
The Taliban said the Afghan government had been given until late Wednesday night (2030 GMT) to agree to exchange the group for eight imprisoned rebels, but the deadline passed without word from the kidnappers or government.Earlier reports by some media that eight hostages had been released have been denied by officials, negotiators and a spokesman for the Taliban.
"Yes, they have killed one of the hostages and efforts are under way to have the others released," said Khowja Seddiqi, district chief of Qarabagh in Ghazni province where the crisis has unfolded.
South Korea's government strongly condemned the murder of the yet unnamed male hostage, calling it an unforgiveable atrocity.
"The government and the people of South Korea condemn the kidnapping of innocent civilians and the atrocity of harming a human life," said Baek Jong-chun, presidential Blue House chief national security adviser.
"Harming innocent civilians can never be justified and we will never forgive this kind of inhumane act," he said in a nationally televised statement.
The Taliban accused the government and South Korean negotiators of failing to act in good faith after Kabul rejected the demand for eight named rebels to be freed from prison.
