The United States has agreed to a prisoner exchange following rare talks with Taliban authorities in Kabul, the group’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

According to the ministry, Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage response, and former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

“Adam Boehler, referring to the issue of detained citizens between Afghanistan and the United States, said that both countries will exchange prisoners,” said a statement from the office of Taliban deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Washington has not issued an immediate comment, and Khalilzad did not respond to requests from Reuters.

Among those detained is Mahmood Habibi, a naturalised US citizen and businessman who previously worked in Afghanistan’s telecommunications sector. The US has offered a $5 million reward for information on Habibi’s whereabouts, though Taliban officials deny involvement in his 2022 disappearance.

The Taliban has reportedly sought the release of Muhammad Rahim, the last Afghan held at Guantanamo Bay since 2008 without charge. The deal, mediated by Qatar, was described by the Taliban as a “humanitarian” step and a “gesture of goodwill.”

In January this year, the two sides also carried out a prisoner swap in which US citizens Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty were freed in exchange for Afghan national Khan Mohammad, who had been serving two life terms in the United States.

Both sides have agreed to continue discussions over their nationals held in each other’s custody, the Taliban statement added.

Source: Al Zazeera