AT News
KABUL: The Taliban has released 16 civilians kept in their custody in Qarabagh district of central Ghazni province, local officials said Wednesday.
A member of Ghazni provincial council, Fatima Rahimi said that the hostages were released on Tuesday.
A tribal elder, Abdul Malik Habibi said that the hostages were handed over to the local elders in Qarabagh district. “Eight people are still kept hostage by the Taliban,” he said. “It was supposed that the Taliban would release all of them but it is unclear why they are still not freed?” He said that the militants promised to release the rest of the hostages in the near future.
Many of the released civilians were kidnapped by the Taliban on the highways while they were on their way home. But the Taliban has not said anything in regards.
Ghazni is one of the insecure provinces in southeast Afghanistan, where the Taliban are strongly active.