Taliban militants set free three female Korean hostages today, its spokesman Qari Yusuuf Ahmadi said.

"Three female hostages were handed over to tribal elders in Qalai Qazi village in the outskirt of Ghazni city minutes ago and now they are free," Ahmadi said from unknown location.

A few more hostages would be set free later today, he added.

The Taliban and South Korean authorities reached an agreement on yesterday, which said all 19 South Korean hostages would be released in the coming days without the liberation of Taliban prisoners.

In return, the South Korean government promised to withdraw all its 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and to forbid all Christian activities in this country.

A total of 23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in the central Ghazni province on July 19.

Taliban rebels shot dead two male hostages on July 25 and July 30 separately to press Afghan and South Korean authorities to meet their main demand, which was the release of some Taliban prisoners.

Two female hostages were released on Aug. 13 as the Taliban claimed it wanted to show "a good gesture" toward South Korean authorities.

The Afghan government has all along refused to release Taliban prisoners as the Taliban has demanded to exchange for the remaining 19 hostages.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2007)