Militants who claim to be holding three UN workers hostage in Afghanistan said today they hoped fresh talks would succeed, while the government said it was making gradual progress in efforts to free them.
Mr Habib Noorzad, a member of the leadership council of Taliban splinter faction Jaish-e Muslimeen, said intermediaries had appealed to the group yesterday not to harm the hostages from Northern Ireland, Kosovo and the Philippines.
"Negotiations are under way and we are still hopeful they will succeed," he said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
"We still hope our 26 jailed Taliban will be released and in exchange we will free the hostages," he said.
The UN workers, Ms Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Kosovan Ms Shqipe Hebibi and Filipino diplomat Mr Angelito Nayan were abducted by gunmen in Kabul on October 28th after helping run presidential elections won by US-backed incumbent Mr Hamid Karzai.
The militants have threatened to kill them but several deadlines have passed without apparent incident.
Mr Noorzad said the intermediaries had said they would deliver "an important message" today, but he did not elaborate.
"There is an 80 per cent chance for the success of the negotiations and we hope our prisoners will be released," Mr Noorzad said, adding that the militants might narrow their demand to the release of 15 prisoners.
Government spokesman Mr Jawed Ludin said progress to free the hostages was being made "slowly but gradually".
"Day by day there is progress being made and we have reason to be optimistic," he said. He declined to give details.
There has been confusion over who is holding the trio since the government said on Wednesday it did not believe they were with the Jaish-e Muslimeen (Army of Muslims).