Earlier on Tuesday, three Taliban sources familiar with the deal, including one in Qatar, home to the political leadership of the Afghan Taliban, said the three Taliban commanders who are part of the swap were freed from jail in Afghanistan. Spokesmen for the Afghan government and the United States embassy in Kabul were not immediately available for comment. But the swap was abruptly postponed, with the Taliban then shifting their hostages to a new location. The United States and the Taliban were for most of the past year discussing a plan for the withdrawal of US troops in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. Before the talks were broken off, the United States and the Taliban both said they were close to reaching a deal.

Source: bd News24 November 19, 2019 09:45 UTC