A man claiming to be the German hostage being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan has appealed for the German government to help secure his freedom as he fears for his life.

The man, Rudolph B., told AFP by telephone in an interview arranged by the hard-line militants, that he was being held in the mountains, that he was very ill and that the Taliban wanted to kill him. An Associated Press reporter in Kandahar also said he spoke to man claiming to be B. who made similar statements.

The crisis team set up by the German government said Monday that it was continuing to do everything possible to secure the hostage's safe release.

Man's identity not confirmed

The interview was conducted after the press agency was given a telephone number by Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi. On calling the number, the reporter spoke first with a Pashtu-speaking man who handed the telephone to the purported hostage. The identity of the man could not be independently confirmed.

"I live with Taliban in the mountains," the man claiming to be B. told AFP in English with a German accent. "I am in danger also, and I am very sick."

He added that his captors wanted to speak directly with the Afghan government and the Germany embassy, and appealed for help to arrange contact with them.

Germans taken three weeks ago

German national, a 62-year-old engineer, was captured on July 18 with a German colleague in the Afghan province of Wardak. The other German suffered circulatory failure a few days later and was then shot dead by his captors.

As well as the German engineers, it is believed that four Afghans were also taken by the Taliban. The militants have demanded a release of prisoners in exchange for the hostages' lives.

Two South Koreans released

The Islamist hardliners announced on Monday that two of the remaining 21 South Koreans who were captured the day after the Germans would be released Monday. Promises from the militants that they would release two hostages over the weekend were not kept.

"We are releasing two sick Korean hostages at 4 o'clock today," a Taliban spokesperson told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. "We are going to hand them over between Ghazni and Zabul provinces to the Red Cross,"

The Seoul government Monday confirmed that two South Korean women had been released by the radical Islamic group Taliban in Afghanistan.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the two women were now in a safe place.

Two of the original group of 23 South Koreans have been murdered, and the Taliban have threatened to shoot more if demands for a prisoner swap were not met.