Taliban warns ROK against sending troops to Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Taliban said here on Wednesday that if the Republic of Korea (ROK) sends troops to Afghanistan, it will certainly face "consequence."

Taliban spokesman Talib Mujahid said in a statement that the Taliban learned from media reports that the ROK has showed readiness to send 500 soldiers to Afghanistan and deploy them in the northern Parvan province.

The ROK decision is seen as an act against the independence of Afghanistan and the Afghan people, said the spokesman, adding that the ROK violates the commitment made in 2007 in exchange for the release of 19 ROK hostages.

To secure the release of the hostages, the ROK government pledged to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and committed never to send soldiers to the country in future, said the Taliban spokesman.

He accused the ROK government of taking "an irresponsible measure," and said the Taliban will not show "any flexibility" in this regard.

The ROK government has not responded to Taliban's statement so far.