6 Taliban freed in exchange for German

A German engineer and four Afghans taken hostage in central Afghanistan in July were freed on Wednesday in exchange...

A German engineer and four Afghans taken hostage in central Afghanistan in July were freed on Wednesday in exchange for six Taliban fighters, an Afghan official said.

Rudolf Blechschmidt and the four Afghans were handed over by local elders to officials from Afghanistan’s intelligence service in the Jaghato district of Warda province on Wednesday, said Mohammad Nahim, the Jaghato district chief.

Six detained Taliban militants had been freed in the swap, Nahim said, without providing details such as where those Taliban had been held or who authorised the exchange.

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In Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier confirmed that Blechschmidt had been freed and said the German ambassador in Kabul had spoken with him by phone. “We are all pleased and relieved,” Steinmeier said.

Blechschmidt is one of two German engineers and five Afghans taken hostage on July 18 in Wardak province. The other German was found dead of gunshot wounds on July 21, while one of the Afghans apparently managed to escape.

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