Four Turkish Hostages Freed in Afghanistan

Taliban insurgents on Tuesday announced they had released the final four Turkish engineers held hostage since their helicopter crash-landed in eastern Afghanistan last month.

"The remaining four Turkish nationals were released today as a sign of goodwill and as an Islamic and humanitarian gesture of respect to the Muslim Turkish nation," the insurgents said in an emailed statement.

"They were delivered to relevant Turkish authorities."

Four other Turkish engineers on board the helicopter were freed on Sunday.

The Islamist militants made no reference to a Russian, a Kyrgyz national and an Afghan also taken hostage after the crash-landing on April 21 in Logar province, a Taliban stronghold south of the capital Kabul.

The seizure was the largest abduction of foreigners in almost six years and highlighted Afghanistan's continuing insecurity as NATO combat troops prepare to pull out next year.

Turkey, one of only two Muslim-majority members of NATO, has around 1,800 soldiers serving with the U.S.-led military coalition, but they do not take part in combat operations.