PULI ALAM: Afghan village elders negotiated with the Taliban Tuesday to try to win the release of a group of foreign hostages, officials said, but no progress was reported so far.
The insurgents seized eight Turks, a Russian, a Kyrgyz man and an Afghan after their civilian helicopter made a forced landing due to bad weather on Sunday in a rugged eastern district part-controlled by the militia.
The Taliban, who are fighting an 11-year insurgency against US-led NATO troops and the Afghan government, initially claimed the foreigners were linked to the US military.
“The Taliban have now realised that the hostages are civilians,” said Arsala Jamal, governor of Logar province where the helicopter came down.
