Taliban Frees American, Australian Hostages In Prisoner Swap

The Taliban has freed the American and Australian professors in exchange for their three high-ranking members on Tuesday.

American Kevin King, 63, and Australian Timothy Weeks, 50, both professors at the American University of Afghanistan were abducted in Kabul last 2016 and were held captive by the Taliban for three years before releasing them following an agreement with the Afghanistan government to have a prisoner exchange with three high ranking-Taliban prisoners; Anas Haqqani, Haji Mali Khan and Hafiz Abdul Rasheed.

According to The New York Times, an anonymous senior Trump administration official said that King and Weeks were released to American Special Forces in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday afternoon and were taken to Bagram Air Base in northern Afghanistan.

The two Westerners are reportedly in fair health.

According to the Taliban, the exchange was a “positive step” towards “good-will and confidence building measures that can aid the peace process,” CNN reported.

Meanwhile, the three Taliban prisoners were flown to Doha, Qatar at the Taliban political office right after the release of the Westerners.

Aside from Weeks and Kings, the Taliban also released 10 members of the Afghan security forces.

“All these steps are a positive trust building, which can help the peace process,” a Taliban spokesman said.

The Afghan government and the US forces delayed the prisoner swap following two attacks within 24 hours of Afghan president Ashraf Ghani’s announcement of prisoner exchange on Nov. 12. On that day, a suicide car bomb hit an American convoy in the Logar province of eastern Afghanistan while on Nov. 13, another suicide car bomb attacked in Kabul and had 12 casualties, including three children walking to school.

President Trump is now participating in the efforts but had agreed to a Taliban demand to exclude Mr. Ghani’s government from the negotiations, making Taliban an equal negotiating partner. As of press time, Weeks’ family had asked for privacy.

“They have asked the Australian Government to convey their relief that their long ordeal is over, and their gratitude to all those who have contributed to Tim’s [Weeks’] safe return,” Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

On Tuesday, King’s family released a statement thanking the Trump administration and officials and other groups that worked to free him.