GHAZNI, Afghanistan — Taliban militants in Afghanistan agreed to release 19 South Korean church volunteers held captive since July 19, a spokesman for the insurgents and the South Korean government said Tuesday.
Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said South Korean and Taliban delegates at face-to-face talks Tuesday in the central town of Ghazni had "reached an agreement" to release the captives.
In Seoul, South Korean presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-sun confirmed a deal was reached.
"We welcome the agreement to release 19 South Koreans," said Cheon Ho-sun.
The South Korean government said the hostage release was based on the condition that the country withdraws its troops from Afghanistan by year end as previously planned and stops missionary work.
As excited as I am at these people's release, the last part of this report is sad. These people left their homes to bring aid and comfort to people who truly needed it. And they brought something even more important: the gospel of Christ.
However, the Taliban has shown that their hearts are truly hardened, and they would rather go down to destruction than follow the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. That said, Christ has indeed been magnified in the bodies of these hostages. They did all they were led to do. The gospel has been preached, and God's will has been done.
