The two hostages released by the Taliban as a result of a prisoner swap with the Afghan government are currently receiving medical care and other needed assistance by the US government, the White House Press Secretary said on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) The two hostages released by the Taliban as a result of a prisoner swap with the Afghan government are currently receiving medical care and other needed assistance by the US government, the White House Press Secretary said on Tuesday.Earlier in the day, a Taliban source told Sputnik that US national Kevin King and Australian national Timothy Weeks were handed over to foreign forces in Afghanistan. The two men, both American University lecturers, were kidnapped by the Taliban in 2016.
"Both men [King and Weeks] were successfully recovered today and are currently receiving medical care and other support from the United States Government," the spokesperson said.
The Afghan government as part of the deal handed over three senior commanders of the Haqqani network, a Taliban umbrella group. In addition, Afghan government forces, US-led coalition troops and Taliban fighters agreed to implement a three-way ceasefire in three districts.
The prisoner swap comes one week after an initial exchange attempt fell through for unknown reasons.
Among the prisoners released by the Afghan government was Anas Haqqani, the son of the network's founder. Releasing Haqqani, who was arrested in 2014, was something that the Afghan president formerly pledged to never do.
In a phone conversation last night Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that if the Taliban continued to increase violence after the prisoner exchange joint action would need to be taken.
