Afghanistan releases 400 Taliban prisoners ahead of peace talks

Afghanistan government, on September 3, confirmed that it has released 400 Taliban prisoners under an exchange deal, except for a few opposed by foreign nations. Under the proposed deal, Kabul is required to free up to 5,000 prisoners in return of 1,000 Afghan security force officials held captive by the insurgents. The negotiations as a part of a landmark deal signed between US, Afghanistan and Taliban in February this year to end the war in the Asian country.

Read: Taliban Refuses To Accept Afghan Govt As Legitimate System Ahead Of Peace Talks

The release comes as Kabul expecting a peace deal later this month. Javid Faisal, National Security Council spokesman, in a tweet, said that Afghanistan had received the commandos held hostage by Taliban in exchange of releasing 400 convicts. In addition, he also said that “diplomatic talks” were ongoing  adding that direct talks would start promptly.

Meanwhile, Taliban officials also confirmed that all prisoners have been freed apart from those opposed by France and Australia. Both Canberra and Paris opposed the release of a prisoner who had links to murders of French and Australian citizens as well as their troops in Afghanistan.

Read: Taliban Set Powerful Negotiating Team For Intra-Afghan Talks

Peace talks 

Both, the Taliban and Afghanistan government had grown closer this week after they launched direct talks in Qatar. Kabul, which is expecting an end to a prisoner exchange, sent a team to Doha on September 3, where the Taliban’s political office is based. However, last month, Taliban said that it does not recognise the current Ashraf Ghani-led government as a legitimate system calling it a western imported structure.

This comes days after the Loya Jirga, Afghanistan's grand assembly, accepted a resolution to release nearly 400 Taliban hard-liners as a goodwill gesture to start the much-awaited peace talks between the two warring factions in the country. A Taliban spokesperson said that the "Islamic Emirate" does not view the Afghanistan government as a legitimate system accusing it of working for the continuation of the American occupation. 

Read: Taliban Set Powerful Negotiating Team For Intra-Afghan Talks

Read:  'No Taliban Prisoners Will Be Released Till Afghan Security Personnel Are Released': Ghani

Image credits: National Security Council, Afghanistan