Days after quite detention, Taliban free foreigners working for UN

Days after their quiet detention, the Taliban freed two western citizens and their two Afghan colleagues on Friday who had been working for the UN after the world body had announced that they had been held by the Taliban for several days in Afghanistan, reported New York Times.

The team members were on an assignment with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and were detained in Kabul in recent days.

The United Nations in its initial statement said, "We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation."

Hours later, the Taliban's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that foreigners were released. However, he did not mention the two Afghans.

Mujahid said that the foreigners were arrested due to correct identification and permit issues.

"Those foreigners who were said to be related to an international entity were arrested because they did not have the correct identification and permits. They are in good health, and after their identities were verified, they were released," The New York Times quoted Mujahid as saying.

In the late evening on Friday, the UN Human Rights Commissioner's office in Geneva confirmed the release of both Westerners and their Afghan colleagues.

The issue of detentions and disappearances has put a new spotlight on the Taliban's promises to improve their human rights record under the weight of international sanctions, according to The New York Times.

( With inputs from ANI )

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