KABUL, Afghanistan, July 26 (UPI) -- A South Korean woman, one of 22 surviving Taliban hostages in Afghanistan, reportedly has sent an appeal to get them freed, saying all are quite sick.
The BBC reported the woman, who identified herself as Seoul resident Yo Syun Ju, told an Afghan reporter by telephone in the presence of her captors, "Tell them to do something to get us released."
The Taliban kidnapped 23 South Korean church volunteer workers July 19. The captors killed one hostages Wednesday, demanding the release by the Afghan government of Taliban prisoners.
In the interview with the Afghan journalist, which the BBC said it obtained, Ju described the hostages' situation as "dangerous," adding: "Day by day it is getting very difficult ...."
"We are all sick and we have a lot of problems," she warned.
Separately, Yonhap news agency reported Friday that purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi confirmed during an interview that some of the hostages are sick. He also set a new deadline of Friday afternoon (local time), saying the other hostages would be killed if the Taliban demands are not met.
