The Taliban has confirmed that 16 foreign nationals, including five women, are currently being held in the group’s prisons in Afghanistan.
The Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Saturday but did not provide details about the identity of the prisoners or the charges against them.
It is not clear how many US citizens are currently being held by the Taliban. Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there are still about 175 Americans in Afghanistan, some of whom entered the country after the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
“There are several Americans who are being detained by the Taliban. We are working to secure their freedom. The families have asked that we protect their identities and don’t speak publicly to their cases,” he said.
Earlier in April, the UK’s Home Secretary also revealed that three British men, including “danger tourist” Miles Routledge, and a charity worker, have been held by the Taliban’s secret police in Afghanistan since January 2023.
