Taliban Say Released 14 Hostages In Several Afghan Provinces
The Taliban have released 14 Afghan soldiers and policemen in several provinces across the country, Taliban spokesman Suheil Shaheen said on Monday.
"Another group of 14 soldiers and policemen of the Kabul Administration were released from prisons of the Islamic Emirate in Logar, Nangarhar and Nooristan provinces and sent to their families," Shaheen wrote on Twitter.
The release comes as part of an ongoing prisoner release process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In another tweet, Shaheen said that the head of the Taliban's political office, Baradar Akhund, met with United Nations Assistance Missions in Afghanistan chief Deborah Lyons in Qatar's capital Doha. The two discussed the release of the remaining prisoners and the commencement of intra-Afghan talks., Shaheen wrote.
The Afghan government has so far released upwards of 3,000 Taliban members from its prisons with the US-Taliban peace process deal stipulating the release of 5,000 altogether.
The peace process deal was signed between the US and the Taliban in late February, included a pointer on the unconditional release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. A subsequent outburst of Taliban violence across the country killed hundreds of civilians and officers and forced the government's hand to agree to a gradual release.
(Sputnik/ANI)
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