Taleban will kill Turkish engineer if prisoners not freed

Militants abducted the Turk, Salih Aksoy, and the Afghan after an attack on a US-funded road project this month in which another Turk, Tolga Ereem, and an Afghan were killed.

Taleban spokesman Mullah Abdul Latif Hakimi telephoned Reuters to say the guerrillas were demanding the release of two Taleban fighters, Zia Ahmad and Abdul Nabi, who were sentenced to death for killing the U.N. worker, Bettina Goislard, in November.

“If they are not released soon, the Turkish engineer and the Afghan guard will be killed,” Hakimi said.