KABUL, (AFP) - Militants who have threatened to kill three UN workers kidnapped in Afghanistan were due to open talks with government negotiators, raising hopes for a peaceful solution to the 10-day-old crisis.
The militants said negotiations would start at midday Sunday (0730 GMT) and expressed hope that an agreement may be reached.
"It will be a face-to-face meeting between our representatives and government representatives in a place that will be set by independent mediators," Sayed Khaled, spokesman for Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) group which has claimed the kidnappings, told AFP on Saturday.
"We hope that we will reach an agreement," Khaled said.
The group is holding Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Kosovo and Angelito Nayan from the Philippines, who were abducted from their car on a busy Kabul street in broad daylight on October 28.
The shadowy group, which has links to the Taliban regime ousted in late 2001 after a US-led invasion, has set and broken a series of deadlines for their execution, with the latest deadline expiring late Saturday.
Its demands include that foreign troops and UN agencies quit Afghanistan and all Taliban prisoners be freed from US custody.
The three workers had been part of the UN team overseeing Afghanistan's landmark presidential elections last month, which had been bitterly opposed by remnants of the hardline Taliban regime.
"We hope that our prisoners and the hostages will be released. They are human beings and our prisoners are also human beings. We hope that the delegation has enough power for a decision," Khaled told AFP.
A delegation representing the Afghan government arrived in the southern province of Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold, on Saturday for the negotiations with the kidnappers.
A senior government official said meanwhile Sunday that Afghan security forces would take steps to stop the militants if they tried to flee with their hostages into neighbouring Pakistan.
"We have started search operations and reinforced our check-up operations in Khost province, especially in border areas," Khost province governor Mirajudin Pattan said.
"We will try our best to arrest the terrorists in case they come to Khost or attempt to get into Pakistan via Khost province," he said.
UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva expressed concern about the health of the three hostages.
"Today marks the 10th day since our colleagues Annetta Flanigan, Shqipe Habibi and Angelito Nayan were abducted (and) the concern of their families, friends and colleagues increases every day, every hour and every minute," he told a media briefing Sunday.
"People who claim to have control of our three colleagues have been telling the press that they are not in good health. If that is the case, the best response for their need of medical attention is their immediate release.
"Those who are holding Annetta Flanigan, Shqipe Habibi and Angelito Nayan are responsible for their welfare and we call on them not to harm them."
11/07/2004 - 08:15 GMT - AFP