Taliban offers new direct talks on S Korean hostages

GHAZNI: Taliban said on Sunday they were ready for more direct talks with South Korea over 19 hostages held for six weeks but negotiators would have to bring something new to the table.

Face-to-face talks between the Taliban and a South Korean delegation ended in failure nearly two weeks ago after authorities refused to bow to the rebels' demands, especially the release of some of their jailed fighters.

But Zabihullah Mujahed, one of the Taliban's main spokesmen, told reporters that the Islamic militant group was ready to resume negotiations if the Koreans and Afghan authorities "come up with something new".

"Our gates for face-to-face talks are open. But they shouldn't repeat what was said in the previous talks," he said.

"They should accept our demands," he said, repeating calls for the release of Taliban militants in jail in exchange for the hostages. Kabul has rejected the condition.

Mujahed said telephone contacts between the rebels and the South Koreans had continued.

The South Korean embassy in Kabul also said "communication channels" were still open.

The Taliban abducted 23 Korean Christian aid workers, including 16 women, on July 19 as they travelled by bus through the insurgency-plagued south.

The militants have since released two women and shot dead two of the men.

They have also demanded South Korea withdraw its troops from the country. Seoul has said it would pull out the 200 troops, mostly engineers and medics, as scheduled by the end of the year.