{"id":66847,"date":"2020-08-16T17:05:05","date_gmt":"2020-08-16T17:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/16\/kabul-begins-release-of-final-400-taliban-prisoners-called-for-in-us-agreement\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:16:01","slug":"kabul-begins-release-of-final-400-taliban-prisoners-called-for-in-us-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/08\/16\/kabul-begins-release-of-final-400-taliban-prisoners-called-for-in-us-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"Kabul begins release of final 400 Taliban prisoners called for in US agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KABUL, Afghanistan \u2014 Afghanistan has released the first 80 of a final 400 Taliban prisoners<\/a>, paving the way for negotiations between the warring sides in Afghanistan\u2019s protracted conflict, the government said Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Javid Faisal, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council, made the announcement. Taliban officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, said 86 prisoners were freed. It wasn\u2019t immediately known when the remaining prisoners would be released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prisoner releases on both sides are part of an agreement signed in February<\/a> between the U.S. and the Taliban. It calls for the release of 5,000 Taliban held by the government and 1,000 government and military personnel held by the insurgent group as a good will gesture ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talks are expected to be held in Qatar where the Taliban maintain a political office. Several Afghan leaders told The Associated Press talks could begin by Aug. 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\t