Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: A Taliban fighter recently freed from the Afghan government custody as part of peace efforts – was rearrested in the battlefield marching against the Afghan security forces in Kofab district of northern Badakshan province.
Provincial Police Spokesman, Sanaullah Rohani had identified the militant as Shirullah also known as Captain. He was arrested after he tried to attack the security forces in the district, the spokesman said.
He was in Bagram detention center before his release, he said.
Based on a US preliminary deal with the Taliban that laid out the withdrawal of roughly 13,000 American troops from Afghanistan, the Afghan government should release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security forces.
The Taliban Qatar based office spokesman, Suhail Shaheen said that the released prisoners would return home and would not rejoin their comrades in the battleground against the Afghan security forces. Over 700 Afghan security forces have been freed by the Taliban.
The Afghan government has released around nearly 4,500 Taliban prisoners but said that it would not free the 592 prisoners, who are charged with big crimes such as murdering and sexual assaults.
But the Taliban accused the government of forging criminal records of their prisoners, saying that based on the US-Taliban peace deal the cases of the imprisoned militants should be investigated. The militants said that they would not engage into intra-Afghan negotiations until all 5,000 prisoners were set free by the government.
Earlier, there were several reports, suggesting that nearly all of the released Taliban prisoners have rejoined the battlefield against the Afghan security forces.
