KABUL — The Taliban government said on Tuesday it had released two US citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges, officials said Tuesday.

The Taliban described the agreement as a constructive demonstration of resolving disputes through dialogue. The swap comes amid ongoing tensions between the two parties, with Kabul-based sources revealing that the Taliban still holds at least five US citizens.

An Afghan prisoner in American custody was freed in exchange for US citizens, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said

Americans Ryan Corbett and William W. McKenty III were freed, their families said. The Taliban said Khan Mohammed, an Afghan serving a life sentence in California, was released.

The two were exchanged for a man arrested in eastern Afghanistan two decades ago who has been serving a life sentence in a California prison.

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and

Afghanistan's Taliban government announced on Tuesday the release of two Americans in a prisoner exchange. The Taliban's Foreign Ministry in Kabul did not name the two U.S. citizens, but said they were exchanged for Khan Muhammad,

In the very last hours of President Joe Biden’s time in office, a prisoner exchange years in the making was finally struck: the Taliban agreed to swap two Americans being held in Afghanistan for one Taliban member serving a life sentence in a US prison.