US officials hold talks in Kabul over Americans detained in Afghanistan
A file photo of Mahmood Habibi and his older brother Ahmad Habibi on a visit to Canada in 2014. Mahmood Habibi was taken hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan on August 10, 2022, according to the US government (Photo: Ahmad Shah Habibi/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo)
WASHINGTON: US officials held talks on Saturday (Sep 13) with the authorities in Kabul over Americans held in Afghanistan, the Taliban administration’s foreign ministry said.
Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage response, and Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US special envoy for Afghanistan, met with the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
"Both parties emphasized the continuation of talks on various current and future issues in bilateral relations, particularly regarding citizens imprisoned in each other’s countries," said a statement from the Afghan foreign ministry.
There was no immediate statement from Washington on the meeting. Khalilzad did not immediately reply to a phone call seeking comment.
Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized US citizen, is the most high-profile American detainee, according to Washington. The Taliban denies holding him.
The Taliban administration, which took power in 2021 after 20 years of US military intervention in Afghanistan, is not recognised by Washington.
