S. Korean hostage fatally shot

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan police discovered the bullet-riddled body of a male hostage on Wednesday, one of 23 South Koreans kidnapped by the Taliban last week.

Because of a recent spike in kidnappings – including an attempt against a Danish citizen Wednesday – police barred foreigners from leaving the Afghan capital without their permission.

South Korea reacted early today by saying it would not tolerate the killing of an innocent civilian and vowed the kidnappers would be held accountable. It demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages.

The South Korean victim was found with 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach in the Mushaki area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, the region where the group was seized July 19 while riding a bus, said Abdul Rahman, a police officer.

A police official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said militants told him the hostage was sick and couldn’t walk and was therefore shot.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry identified the victim as 42-year-old Bae Hyung-kyu, a founder of Saemmul Presbyterian Church who traveled abroad on volunteer missions twice a year.

Marajudin Pathan, the governor of Ghazni province, said the militants were still holding the remaining 22 South Korean hostages.

Elsewhere, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said a soldier was killed in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade. ISAF didn’t release the soldier’s nationality, but the majority of troops in the east are American.

The U.S.-led coalition said 20 suspected Taliban militants were killed Wednesday after a failed ambush on coalition and Afghan troops in Kandahar province. In Helmand province, 50 suspected Taliban militants died in a 12-hour battle with coalition and Afghan forces that ended early today, the coalition said.