Taliban Prisoners

The Taliban no longer sees the need for state-sponsored women's shelters, hence they have shut them down.

The Taliban handed an American navy veteran detained for more than two years to the United States today, in return for the release of a key ally, Afghanistan's foreign minister said.

Among hundreds of prisoners released by the Taliban from an Afghan jail after their takeover of Kabul was Nimisha Fathima from Kerala, who had surrendered to Afghan forces after joining the terror group ISIS.

An Afghan government negotiator on Thursday said the Taliban had offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of 7,000 insurgent prisoners, as the militant group continues a sweeping offensive across the country.

After American troops withdrew without notifying them, Afghan soldiers guarding the Bagram Air Base have been left with thousands of Taliban prisoners and a certainty that the enemy will attack.

A number of Taliban prisoners who were released by the Afghan government as a condition for peace talks have taken up arms again, top official Abdullah Abdullah said Tuesday.

The Afghan government said Thursday it had released 400 Taliban prisoners under an exchange deal with the terrorists, except for "a few" opposed by foreign nations, and expected peace negotiations to start soon.

Afghan peace talks are expected to begin within days after authorities announced Monday they would soon start releasing hundreds of Taliban prisoners accused of brutal attacks including on foreigners.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani began a process Sunday to release up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture after the insurgents proposed a surprise ceasefire during the Eid holiday.

The Taliban are set to release 20 prisoners in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the group's spokesman said Sunday, in what appeared to be a major breakthrough after the insurgents walked out of talks with the government last week.

The Afghan government released 100 low-risk Taliban prisoners Wednesday, officials said, a day after the insurgents announced they were walking out of talks with Kabul.

The Afghan government will release 100 Taliban prisoners from jails on Thursday, said a senior security official, adding that in exchange the Taliban will release 20 Afghan security members.

Afghan government representatives have met with the Taliban in Kabul for the first time to discuss a prisoner swap aimed at jump-starting a floundering peace process, officials said Wednesday.

The Afghan government and the Taliban on Sunday held their first discussion on arranging prisoner exchanges, a key step in a broader push for peace, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said on Twitter.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners in coming days to pave the way for direct talks with the hardline insurgent group that are aimed at ending the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan, according to a copy of the decree seen by Reuters.

The Taliban no longer sees the need for state-sponsored women's shelters, hence they have shut them down.

The Taliban handed an American navy veteran detained for more than two years to the United States today, in return for the release of a key ally, Afghanistan's foreign minister said.

Among hundreds of prisoners released by the Taliban from an Afghan jail after their takeover of Kabul was Nimisha Fathima from Kerala, who had surrendered to Afghan forces after joining the terror group ISIS.

An Afghan government negotiator on Thursday said the Taliban had offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of 7,000 insurgent prisoners, as the militant group continues a sweeping offensive across the country.

After American troops withdrew without notifying them, Afghan soldiers guarding the Bagram Air Base have been left with thousands of Taliban prisoners and a certainty that the enemy will attack.

A number of Taliban prisoners who were released by the Afghan government as a condition for peace talks have taken up arms again, top official Abdullah Abdullah said Tuesday.

The Afghan government said Thursday it had released 400 Taliban prisoners under an exchange deal with the terrorists, except for "a few" opposed by foreign nations, and expected peace negotiations to start soon.

Afghan peace talks are expected to begin within days after authorities announced Monday they would soon start releasing hundreds of Taliban prisoners accused of brutal attacks including on foreigners.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani began a process Sunday to release up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture after the insurgents proposed a surprise ceasefire during the Eid holiday.

The Taliban are set to release 20 prisoners in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the group's spokesman said Sunday, in what appeared to be a major breakthrough after the insurgents walked out of talks with the government last week.

The Afghan government released 100 low-risk Taliban prisoners Wednesday, officials said, a day after the insurgents announced they were walking out of talks with Kabul.

The Afghan government will release 100 Taliban prisoners from jails on Thursday, said a senior security official, adding that in exchange the Taliban will release 20 Afghan security members.

Afghan government representatives have met with the Taliban in Kabul for the first time to discuss a prisoner swap aimed at jump-starting a floundering peace process, officials said Wednesday.

The Afghan government and the Taliban on Sunday held their first discussion on arranging prisoner exchanges, a key step in a broader push for peace, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said on Twitter.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners in coming days to pave the way for direct talks with the hardline insurgent group that are aimed at ending the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan, according to a copy of the decree seen by Reuters.