A U.N. spokesman has called on kidnappers to release three U.N. hostages held in Afghanistan before the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr later this week.
A U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan, Manoel de Almeida e Silva, called on the kidnappers to extend to their captives the spirit of peace and understanding that is part of the Eid celebration.
On Wednesday, the kidnappers said the government had agreed to terms that would free the hostages, but Afghan authorities have not confirmed the deal.
The kidnappers are demanding the release of 26 Taleban prisoners.
The U.N. workers, women from Kosovo and Northern Ireland, and a man from the Philippines, were kidnapped in Kabul in late October.