Taliban militants released four more South Korean hostages today, an Associated Press reporter witnessed.

Taliban militants were expected to release seven remaining South Korean hostages today, bringing to an end a six-week drama that saw two captives executed by the kidnappers in Afghanistan, a South Korean official said.

Taliban militants in Afghanistan today released eight of 19 South Korean captives they promised to free under a deal struck with the South Korean government to resolve a hostage crisis that began almost six weeks ago.

Taliban leaders and South Korean officials were continuing negotiations by telephone over the fate of the remaining 19 hostages today, but no new face-to-face talks had been planned, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

The United States has attacked a hospital in the Afghan city of Kandahar, reportedly killing 15 staff and patients and severely injuring 25 others