EON

Kabul (EON) – The Taliban have agreed to set the remaining 19 South Korean hostages free in the coming days.

This will come without the release of Taliban prisoners who the kidnappers have been fighting to get released since the hostage situation began.

Taliban delegate Mullah Bashir made the announcement Tuesday as he talked directly to South Korean officials. The Taliban figured out that South Korea would not be able to push the Afghan government in any way to release the Taliban prisoners therefore there was no reason to hold the hostages any longer.

The hostages have been held since July 19th when 23 South Korean hostages were kidnapped on a road in central Ghazni. The Taliban stated that it would take several days to get all of the hostages released.

In accordance to the agreement, South Korea has agreed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year.