10 November 2004	Wednesday	26 Ramazan 1425

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KABUL, Nov 9: Afghanistan's government said on Tuesday that progress had been made towards freeing three foreign UN workers held by militants, as one of the hostages called home to say she is in good health.

President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said information from involved parties had further raised hopes that the trio, who were abducted by a shadowy Taliban splinter group, would be released.

"Based on indications, based on information that we have, there is hope that the case would be resolved Inshaallah," spokesman Jawed Ludin told a regular news conference in Kabul.

"I received information indicating that progress has been made in this regard," he added, declining to give further details because of the "sensitivity" of the case.

Annetta Flanigan of Northern Ireland, Filipino diplomat Angelito Nayan and Shqipe Habibi of Kosovo were kidnapped from their car on a busy Kabul street in broad daylight on Oct 28 by gunmen.

Talks began on Sunday in southern Kandahar province between Afghan officials and the group claiming to hold the three, Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) - which has links to the hardline Taliban regime ousted in late 2001.

The group, which has set and broken a series of deadlines for the killing of its captives, handed over a list of 26 prisoners they want to swap for the hostages. A second round of negotiations was due on Tuesday.

Officials confirmed comments made by Habibi's brother in Kosovo late on Monday that she had managed to call a friend in her hometown to say she was fine and she hoped to be reunited with her loved ones soon.

"Shqipe said that she is in good health and asked us not to be worried about her. She said that the kidnappers are not maltreating her," her brother Agim told journalists.-AFP