Militants claiming to hold three United Nations hostages in Afghanistan, including Northern Irish woman Annetta Flanigan who is said to be “seriously ill”, said they would decide today whether to kill them.

AFGHAN militants claiming to hold three UN hostages, including an Irish woman, said talks on demands including the release of Taliban prisoners had broken down yesterday.

Afghan militants claiming to hold three UN hostages, including Irish woman Annetta Flanigan, said talks on demands including the release of Taliban prisoners had broken down today.

The midnight deadline (7.30pm Irish time) set by Afghan militants threatening to kill three UN hostages, including Northern Ireland's Annetta Flanigan, has passed.

Afghan militants threatening to kill three UN hostages, including Northern Ireland's Annetta Flanigan, pushed back the deadline for their deaths until midnight today – 7.30pm Irish time.

Militants threatening to kill three United Nations hostages including a woman from Northern Ireland said today that a noon deadline could be postponed for negotiations on demands that include the world body’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

THERE were fears last night Irish UN worker Annetta Flanigan and her fellow hostages may have been taken to separate locations as her captors seek to evade Afghan authorities.

Afghan militants threatening to kill three foreign hostages, including a woman from the North, today offered to negotiate with a UN envoy, but warned that any rescue attempt would end in bloodshed.

Kidnapped Northern Irish UN worker Annetta Flanigan was today featured in a video released by her captors who are demanding the withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan.