Taliban frees two South Korean captives

TWO women among the 23 South Koreans kidnapped by the Taliban in mid-July were freed yesterday on a rural Afghan roadside and then driven to a US base, the first significant breakthrough in a hostage drama that is more than three weeks old.

The two women, who broke into tears after seeing the international Red Cross officials there to take custody of them, got out of a dark-grey Toyota Corolla driven by an Afghan elder and into one of two waiting Red Cross SUVs.

The women said nothing to reporters alerted to the hand-off location 8km south-east of Ghazni city by a Taliban spokesman.