The Taliban government announced on Tuesday the release of Afghan prisoner Khan Mohammad by the United States, in exchange for American detainees, with the deal facilitated by Qatar.
According to a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “An Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammad, imprisoned in the United States, has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to Afghanistan.”
The ministry further explained that Mohammad had been serving a life sentence in California after his arrest nearly two decades ago in Nangarhar, a province in eastern Afghanistan.
When asked by AFP for more details, the foreign ministry declined to specify the number of American prisoners involved in the exchange.
The announcement comes one day after the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who, during his first term, oversaw a deal with the Taliban that ultimately paved the way for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power.
Following Trump’s election victory in November, the Taliban expressed hopes for a “new chapter” in U.S.-Taliban relations.
On Tuesday, the Taliban called the exchange “a good example of resolving issues through dialogue,” offering special gratitude to Qatar for its instrumental role in brokering the deal.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan views positively any actions by the United States that contribute to the normalization and expansion of relations between the two countries,” the Taliban added, referring to their government by its official title.
AFP
