US: Taliban release 2 Americans in ‘goodwill gesture’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Taliban have released two Americans held in Afghanistan in what appeared to be a “goodwill gesture,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday.

The release was not part of any larger prisoner swap, and no money changed hands, he told reporters.

A senior administration official said the U.S. government was currently assisting the two, and that they would soon be reunited soon with their families. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Neither Price nor the official identified the two Americans.

The U.S. does not formally recognize Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, who took power from a U.S.-backed government after U.S. forces withdrew in 2021.

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AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.