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The Taliban government announced on Tuesday that the United States had released an Afghan prisoner in exchange for American detainees held in Afghanistan, as part of an agreement mediated by Qatar.

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a release, "Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad, who had been imprisoned in the US, was freed in exchange for American citizens and returned to his country."

The statement clarified that Mohammad had been serving a life sentence in California after being arrested "nearly two decades ago" in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

When asked by AFP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to provide additional details or disclose the number of American prisoners involved.

This announcement follows one day after Donald Trump’s inauguration. During his first term, Trump’s administration reached an agreement with the Taliban that paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power.

After Trump's victory in the November elections, the Taliban government expressed hope for a "new chapter" in relations with the United States.

On Tuesday, the Taliban government described the prisoner exchange as "a good example of resolving outstanding issues through dialogue" and thanked "the active role played by the brotherly State of Qatar in this regard."

The statement concluded by saying, "We view these American actions positively as they contribute to normalizing and expanding relations between the two countries." AFP