Reuters: Hostage Rescue Started In Afghanistan

From an outraged Reuters:

A South Korean activist wears a mask with tears of blood during rally near the US embassy in Seoul, 01 August, calling for the US involvement for help to save 21 remaining Korean captives in Afghanistan.

Hostage rescue bid begins in Afghanistan: official

By Yousuf Azimy

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A military operation to rescue the remaining 21 Korean hostages held by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan began on Wednesday, hours after a Taliban deadline expired, a provincial official said.

“The operation has started,” said Khowja Seddiqi, the district chief of Ghazni’s Qarabagh district, where the Taliban kidnapped 23 Korean Christian volunteers nearly two weeks ago.

He did not give more details or say which forces were involved…

The Taliban could not be immediately be contacted, but spokesmen for the radical Islamist movement have repeatedly said any use of force would jeopardize the lives of the hostages.

Earlier the army had dropped leaflets warning civilians of an assault.

“The national army has dropped leaflets from helicopters telling people in several districts to evacuate their houses because it wants to launch an operation,” said Khowja Seddiqi, district chief of Qarabagh, in Ghazni province…

The Afghan government has said that giving in to rebel demands would only encourage more kidnapping.

Well, it doesn’t sound like a surprise attack.