The militant group that abducted 23 South Korean aid workers last month began releasing the remaining hostages, seven women and one man being handed over to the authorities on Wednesday.

One of the tribal elders that participated at the discussions between the Taliban Seoul envoys confirmed the release of four women and one man, who were reportedly freed in the eastern district of the Ghazni province, Andar.

Previously, police officials and Taliban representatives announced the release of three women. They were handed over to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross and were in “very good condition of health.”

Wednesday’s events come after strenuous negotiations that seemed to have hit a dead end at one point, when the Taliban said future talks would be a waste of time because Seoul can’t influence the stance of the Afghan government and secure the release of their comrades.

But direct talks resumed on Tuesday after ten days of incertitude and provided a breakthrough when the militants agreed to set free all South Koreans if Seoul withdraws its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2007 and ends aid campaigns in the country by August 31.

The South Korean government gave green light for the Afghanistan pullout before the abduction took place on July 19 and pledged to stop all missionaries and tourists from travelling to the conflict-torn country.

The Taliban said all hostages will be released in the following days because they are divided in groups and held in different locations.

As South Korean officials said, the hostages are scheduled to be taken at a military base in Bagram- 60 kilometers northwest of Kabul- before being flown back home.

Two women have been also released on August 13 as a “goodwill gesture,” but before their release the Taliban shot dead two men as an answer to the government’s lack of cooperation.