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The Taliban has released two American citizens in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the outgoing Biden administration, US media reports and the families of the two men said.
The two Americans – Ryan Corbett and William McKenty – were exchanged for a member of the Afghan Taliban named Khan Mohammed who was convicted in 2008 on narco-terrorism charges.
In a statement provided to The Independent, Mr Corbett’s family first thanked the new US president Donald Trump, and then his predecessor Joe Biden, for their efforts to secure his release.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” Mr Corbett’s family said.
No statement was provided from the family of Mr McKenty, 69, due to his family’s request to the US government for privacy.
Khan Mohammad, 55, was a narcotics trafficker who sought to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets, according to the US Department of Justice. He was sentenced to life in prison in the US’s first conviction on narco-terror charges.
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