Two US Citizens Exchanged For Taliban Prisoner In United States
The Taliban's Foreign Ministry announced that one of the group's prisoners in the United States has been released as a result of an exchange with American citizens.
The ministry said that Khan Mohammad was released from prison as a result of "long and productive negotiations" with the United States.
Although the Taliban did not disclose the identities of the American prisoners, CNN reported that Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, two American citizens, were released from the group's custody in exchange for the release of Taliban prisoner.
The Taliban said that the group's prisoner had been sentenced to life in prison in the United States and was serving his sentence in a prison in California.
Khan Mohammad was arrested in Nangarhar about two decades ago, the group said.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released from Taliban custody on Tuesday morning, January 21, and left for the United States.
In exchange for the release of the two American citizens, Washington handed over Khan Mohammad, who was arrested in 2008 on drug-related terrorism charges, to the Taliban, the report said.
CNN said that the prisoner exchange between the United States and the Taliban, which had been taking place for years, took place in the last hours of Joe Biden's administration.
CNN sources said that the Taliban prisoner was transferred to Qatar by US officials.
According to the report, Qatar has hosted several rounds of talks between the Taliban and the United States on the prisoner exchange. Doha has also facilitated the transfer of American prisoners from Kabul.
The Taliban's Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on Tuesday that the prisoner exchange with Washington was a "good example of resolving issues through dialogue" and appreciated Qatar's "effective role" in the process.
The Taliban said that it views the US actions positively, and that they "contribute to the normalisation and expansion of relations between the two countries".
