SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, July 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Taliban militants have set free 40 security personnel from their custody in northern Jawzjan province, an army spokesman, Abdul Hadi Jamal, said today (Monday).
Jamal said, 40 security personnel, mostly policemen, had been released by the Taliban and reached Jawzjan provincial capital, Shiberghan, on Sunday afternoon.
This was the second group of Afghan security personnel released in Jawzjan province over the past week. Earlier, the militant group released 42 Afghan security personnel, one week ago, after capturing Qush Tepa district, in the troubled Jawzjan province.
Taliban militants captured Qush Tepa district last week and reportedly arrested 90 security personnel based there.
The release of security personnel from Taliban custody was taking place amid the two-day intra-Afghan talks, which opened in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Sunday.
The Afghan government also announced the release of some 900 militants languishing in prisons, about one month ago, as a goodwill gesture to accelerate the ongoing peace process and national reconciliation in the conflict-battered country.– NNN-AGENCIES
