A deadline set by militants holding two Austrian tourists was extended again after their previous ultimatum expired Sunday without official word from the captors, according to a press release from the Austrian Foreign Ministry.

Militants linked to al-Qaida in North Africa had set a deadline of Sunday midnight (2300 GMT) to release 10 members of their group jailed in Tunisia and Algeria in exchange for Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber, captured while holidaying in Tunisia last month.

Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal said as efforts are still being made to secure the release of the two hostages, the previously-set deadline would not be persisted.

Local ORF television reported Sunday that the deadline would be extended for three days, although this was not confirmed by the authorities.

Austrian authorities have rejected a 5-million-euro (7.8 million US dollars) ransom demanded by the militants.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2008)