The US has freed one Taliban prisoner in exchange for two Americans held in Afghanistan, in a motion that Afghanistan considers a step forward toward the “normalization” of relations between the two nations, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The Taliban member was incarcerated for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.
The Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul announced the swap, stating that two US citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008.
The families of Ryan Corbett, one of the Americans who was freed in the swap, expressed relief for his release.
“Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family’s statement said.
The Taliban detained Corbett in August 2022 while on a business trip. His family lived in Afghanistan before the 2021 collapse of the US-backed government.