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Taliban release video of American university lecturers, demanding prisoners release

by IBNS 21 Jun 2017, 11:02 pm

Kabul, June 22 (IBNS) : The Taliban insurgents group in Afghanistan released a new video of the kidnapped American University lecturers late on Wednesday, state-run news agency Khaama Press said.

The video shows the two lecturers, Kevin King and Timothy Weeks, making pleas to the authorities for their release.

According to the abducted university lecturers, the Taliban group demands the release of their prisoners from Bagram and Pul-e-Charkhi prisons in exchange for their release.

The video was published late on Wednesday and was apparently recorded on 16th June, weeks after reports emerged suggesting that the Afghan government is mulling to execute Taliban and Haqqani network prisoners in response to the deadly Kabul attacks.

No further details were given regarding the prisoners of the Taliban group, their number, and identities but among the several key Taliban and Haqqani network prisoners being kept in the jails, is Anas Haqqani, a close relative of the Haqqani network leader who was captured long ago by the Afghan security forces.

The two lecturers were abducted in the month of August last year by gunmen who had disguised themselves in military uniforms.

Officials privy of the developments have said the two professors are being kept by the Haqqani terrorist network, a notorious militant group close to the Taliban insurgents.