Afghan kidnap group issues deadline

Militants holding three foreign UN workers in Afghanistan have threatened to kill them unless all Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners are released from US custody by noon (0730 GMT) on Wednesday.

The leader of Jaish-e-Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) told Reuters the United Nations must also cease operations in Afghanistan, or the hostages would be killed "in such a way by which Muslims will be happy".

The group also released a video of the hostages which the Arabic TV channel Al Jazeera broadcast yesterday showing them in apparent good health, although a group spokesman said later one of the hostages had been treated by a doctor after falling ill.

The three - Filipino Angelito Nayan, Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland and Shqipe Hebibi from Kosovo - were snatched from their UN vehicle in rush hour traffic on Thursday.

They had been helping to organise Afghanistan's first presidential election, which was held on October 9.

Mullah Sayed Mohammed Akbar Agha, leader of the kidnap group, told Reuters by telephone the group had four demands.

"The UN should leave Afghanistan and it should call Britain and America's meddling in Afghanistan illegal," he said.

"Those who have no military involvement in Afghanistan, such as Philippines, must call Britain and America's meddling in Afghanistan illegal and must stop its contributions through the UN for America and Britain's activities."

He demanded that Kosovo and Britain withdraw their forces from Afghanistan and called for the release of all Muslim prisoners in Afghanistan and Cuba, "be they Taliban or Al Qaeda".

Kosovo, which is under UN administration, has no troops in Afghanistan.

The kidnappings have stoked fears among the 2,000-strong foreign community that militants in Afghanistan may be copying tactics used by insurgents in Iraq.

But a spokesman for the Taliban - the hardline Islamic regime ousted by a US-led coalition in late 2001 and now the main group fighting the government and more than 28,000 US and NATO troops in the country - distanced it from the kidnappings.

"We have no comment about the issue. It is their work and we are not involved in it," said Hamid Agha, Taliban chief spokesman.

Another Jaish-e-Muslimeen commander, Sabir Mohmin, told Reuters that some members of President Hamid Karzai's faction ridden government had assisted the kidnappers.