Islamabad: The Taliban on Sunday freed a US citizen from an Afghan prison, weeks after they said they had reached an agreement with US envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of an effort to normalise relations.

The deputy spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, Zia Ahmad Takal, identified the man as Amir Amiri. He did not say when Amiri was detained, why or where.

An official with knowledge of the release said Amiri had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024, and was on his way back to the US The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the details of the release with the media.