KABUL (AFP) - Militants claiming to hold three foreign UN workers met Afghan officials and gave them a list of 26 prisoners whom they want to swap for their hostages, a spokesman for the group said.
"Today at noon a two-hour meeting started between our representatives and the government representatives regarding the fate of the three UN hostages," said Sayed Khaled, who claims to speak for Taliban splinter group Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims).
"After the two-hour meeting the government delegation were given a 26-person list of our prisoners that we demand be released and in return we would release the UN hostages," he said.
Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Kosovo, and Angelito Nayan, a diplomat from the Philippines, were snatched from their vehicle in busy lunchtime traffic in Kabul on October 28.
Khaled said further talks would be held in two days' time.
"The delegation asked for two days' time to verify where our named prisoners are held, in Afghanistan or out of the country. The next round of negotiations will begin in two days," he said, adding that Sunday's meeting took place inside Afghanistan.
Khaled said the hostages are not in danger while negotiations continue.
"Of course, when the second round of the negotiations is going to begin in two days, then there is no set deadline (for killing them) and they are safe as long as the negotiations are going on," he said in a satellite telephone call.
An interior ministry spokesman refused to confirm negotiations had taken place.
"The ministry of the interior has not been directly contacted by the group and we do do not confirm the direct negotiations," said Lutfullah Mashal, who had earlier expressed optimism about securing the release of the hostages.
The shadowy group, which has links to the hardline Taliban regime ousted in late 2001 after a US-led invasion, has set and broken a series of deadlines for the killing of its UN captives. The latest deadline expired late Saturday.
Its earlier demands included the withdrawal of foreign troops and UN agencies from Afghanistan and the release of all Taliban prisoners from US custody.
But the group appeared to have softened its demands after the first face-to-face meeting with the government delegation Sunday.
"This was the first time the two sides met for face-to-face negotiation," Khaled told AFP. "For now the given list is our priority and about our other demands ... I am not going to speak now," he said.
"We are quietly optimistic that we can come to an agreement to be able to release our innocent prisoners and the three UN workers."
The three abductees had been part of the UN team overseeing Afghanistan's landmark presidential elections last month. Remnants of the Taliban bitterly opposed the poll.
UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva expressed concern about the health of the three captives.
"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 - 13:06 GMT - AFP