Afghan militants announced to extend negotiation deadline for South Korean hostages, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency quoted government officials as saying on Monday.
The report came just minutes after the deadline set by the militants expired. The Taliban warned earlier that they would start to kill the hostages by 1430 GMT Monday unless 23 Taliban prisoners are released and South Korea withdraws its 210 troops from Afghanistan.
According to Yonhap, the new deadline will be extended until 1430 GMT Tuesday.
"We are keeping in touch with the militants even after the ( Taliban-set) deadline," said South Korean Presidential Spokesman Cheon Ho-seon.
The situation will not likely deteriorate at the moment, an unnamed official of the Presidential Office told local reporters.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said late Monday that a military delegation has been sent to Kabul.
The delegation, led by a general-level officer, will help South Korean diplomats to seek safe release of the hostages and strengthen cooperation with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, Yonhap said.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean Presidential Office said that no military operation to rescue 23 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan would be conducted without Seoul's consent and stressed the hostages' safety is the highest priority.
Source: Xinhua
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