The Afghan government released another 100 Taliban detainees yesterday. The National Security Council announced today. They would have committed themselves to no longer participate in fights. The Taliban were released depending on their health, age and remaining prison sentence.
The government has released a total of 300 Taliban since Wednesday. According to a spokesman, another group should follow today. The exact number was initially unclear.
Condition for peace talks
The prisoner exchange had been included in an agreement the United States signed with the Taliban in Doha on February 29 as a prerequisite for intra-Afghan peace talks. The Kabul government had not been involved because the Taliban had refused to speak to them directly.
Up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners should be released in exchange for 1,000 prisoners detained by the militant Islamist group. There has been a dispute over the implementation for weeks. President Aschraf Ghani had ordered several weeks ago not to release all fighters at once.
