The government responded to the Taliban’s three-day ceasefire offer Sunday by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 insurgent prisoners. On Monday they freed 100, and will release another 900, the government said — the biggest group of Taliban prisoners to be freed so far. The exact number could vary subject to legal procedures, National Security Council spokesperson Javid Faisal told AFP. It also stipulates that the Afghan government would release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the militants would free about 1,000 national security personnel. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while welcoming the latest developments, insisted that Taliban prisoners should not return to the battlefield once freed.

Source: The Express Tribune May 26, 2020 08:03 UTC