The Taliban government on Saturday claimed that Washington’s special envoy Adam Boehler agreed to move forward with a US–Afghanistan prisoner exchange during a rare visit to Kabul.
According to a statement from Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar’s office, Boehler said “both countries will exchange prisoners” after talks with Taliban leaders.
The US State Department has not immediately confirmed the announcement, and no timeline has been set for the swap.
At least one American citizen, Mahmood Habibi, remains missing in Afghanistan. The US has offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts, while Taliban officials deny involvement in his 2022 disappearance.
Earlier this year, airline mechanic George Glezmann was freed after more than two years in detention, following a March visit to Kabul by Boehler.
Boehler, joined on Saturday by former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, also met with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, where detainees were a key focus. Government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat wrote on X that both sides “emphasised continued discussions on existing and future issues in bilateral relations, especially those citizens who are imprisoned in both countries.”
Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, dozens of foreign nationals have been detained. Just this week, Moscow confirmed the release of a Russian ethnologist held in Afghanistan for nearly two months, citing “friendly relations” between both governments. Russia remains the only country to officially recognise the Taliban administration.
In January, the Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, who was convicted of narco-terrorism in the US.
Despite two decades of war with US-led forces, the Taliban leadership says it seeks improved ties with Washington. Foreign Minister Muttaqi reiterated on Saturday that there are “no irresolvable problems in bilateral relations” and called for a “return to normal relations.”
Several countries — including Pakistan, China, Turkey, the UAE, and Iran — have kept embassies open in Kabul since 2021.
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