Afghans hold talks over chopper hostages

AFGHAN village elders are locked in talks with the Taliban in a bid to free 10 foreign and one Afghan hostage.

The militants seized the 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 partly controlled by the insurgents.

The captives were in good health and had been moved to a "safe area", the Taliban said on Tuesday.

The Taliban have been fighting an 11-year insurgency against US-led NATO troops and the Afghan government.

The abduction was the largest of foreigners in almost six years and highlighted Afghanistan's continuing insecurity as NATO troops prepare to pull out.

Talks between village elders and the Taliban have "so far made good progress and we are optimistic for a good outcome", said Din Mohammad Darvish, spokesman for the government of Logar province south of Kabul where the helicopter came down.

"It's a bit early to say when the prisoners will be released," he added.

Abdul Wali Wakil, head of the elected provincial council, confirmed that a group of elders was holding negotiations.

Wakil told AFP the hostages were fine apart from one Turk, who apparently suffers from heart problems and was sent medicine through the negotiators.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the captives "have been moved to a safe area."

They were still in Afghanistan, he said, speaking by phone from an undisclosed location.

There are sometimes fears that hostages can be smuggled across the porous border into Pakistan, where the Taliban and other militants have rear bases.

A search for the group had begun, Afghan interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

But he declined to give details for security reasons.

On Tuesday, officials said gunmen had also kidnapped nine Afghan deminers in the restive southern province of Kandahar. The Taliban denied any involvement in this incident.

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