US swaps Taliban prisoner for US prisoners Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty

Two Americans held by the Taliban in Afghanistan have been exchanged for an Afghan jailed in the United States on drug-trafficking and terrorism charges.

The news follows the firing of Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty. Afghan Khan Mohammad was serving a life sentence in a federal prison in California on charges of drug trafficking and terrorism.

A statement from the Taliban government in Kabul announced the deal, which was reached just before President Joe Biden ended his term in office.

Mr Corbett’s release was confirmed by his family. The American media, citing official sources, called Mr. McKenty the second American.

The deal — reportedly the culmination of two years of negotiations — was struck just before Joe Biden handed over power to Donald Trump on Monday.

“Afghan militant Khan Mohammed imprisoned in America was released in exchange for American citizens and returned to the country,” the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Ryan Corbett’s family thanked both administrations as well as Qatar for what they described as his vital role.

“Today our hearts are filled with immense gratitude and praise to God for saving Ryan’s life and bringing him home after 894 of the most difficult and uncertain days of our lives,” the family said.

Mr Corbett lived in Afghanistan with his family for many years and was detained by the Taliban more than two years ago when he returned from a tour of duty.

Few details are available about Mr. McKenty, whose family has asked for anonymity.

Khan Mohammad was a Taliban member captured in Afghanistan during a US military operation. He was imprisoned in 2008. Joe Biden commuted the sentence before leaving office.

The Taliban called the exchange the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the United States and “a good example of solving problems through dialogue.”

“The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America, which contribute to the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,” the message reads.

Since the Taliban came to power in 2021, no government has officially recognized them.

While the move is unlikely to change relations between Kabul and Washington, additional negotiations will follow – two other Americans are still in Afghanistanas George Glaesmann and Mahmoud Habibi believe.

The Taliban are also seeking the release of an Afghan man who is one of the few prisoners in the US Guantanamo Bay prison.

At a rally in Washington on the eve of his inauguration, President Trump threatened to cut humanitarian aid to Afghanistan if the Taliban did not return military equipment seized after the US withdrawal in 2021.

USA Defense Department report for 2022 left $7 billion in military equipment in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops.