Afghan Taliban frees three Indian hostages: Reports
Islamabad: The Afghan Taliban said it has freed three Indian engineers held hostage for over a year in an exchange for securing the release of 11 of its members, including some high-ranking officials of the militant group, according to media reports on Monday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, two Taliban officials refused to say who the militant group exchanged the prisoners with and whether the freed Taliban members were being held by Afghan authorities or US forces in Afghanistan, The Express Tribune reported.
However, the Associated Press reported that the 11 militants were released from Afghan jails.
The prisoner swap happened on Sunday, the paper quoted the Taliban officials as saying, but it did not disclose the location. Seven Indian engineers working for a power plant in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan Province were kidnapped in May 2018.
One of the hostages was released in March, but the fate of the others remained unknown. The identities of the released hostages were not disclosed by the militant group, the paper cited a RFE/RL report.
The officials said the freed Taliban leaders include Sheikh Abdur Rahim and Mawlawi Abdur Rashid, who had served as the insurgent group's governors of Kunar and Nimroz provinces respectively during the Taliban administration before it was deposed by the US-led forces in 2001.
The Taliban officials provided a photo and footage of what they said was the freed militants being greeted after their release. There was no immediate comment from Afghan or Indian authorities, the report said.
The release follows meetings between US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Baradar along with a 12-member delegation had been in Islamabad since Wednesday on the invitation of the Pakistan government.
The Taliban delegation also called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and exchanged views on peace and stability in the South Asian region and bilateral relations in their meeting.
Since his appointment in September last year, Afghanistan-born Khalilzad has met with all sides in an attempt to end America's longest war in which the US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in more than 17 years.
The US and the Taliban had agreed on draft peace plan, but the process was suspend by US President Donald Trump following killing of an American soldier in Kabul last month in a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban.
Trump stunned the world when he suddenly declared that the Afghan peace talks with the Taliban were "dead".
He cancelled a secret meeting with the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David near Washington after the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul, in which an American soldier was among the dead.
The US has continued to push for a ceasefire in the war-torn country and the opening of negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government.
The Taliban, however, have repeatedly refused to meet with officials of the Afghan government, whom they dismiss as "puppets".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
RCB to play five IPL 2026 home matches in Bengaluru, two in Raipur
Bengaluru (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five of their home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here and the remaining two fixtures at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in the upcoming IPL, the franchise said on Tuesday.
The announcement ended doubts about whether the IPL 2025 winners would be able to play at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, following the stampede that killed 11 fans after RCB's maiden title win.
Since that tragic indecent, the venue has not hosted any major domestic matches including the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy or even the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.
"This significant development comes after months of hard work and close coordination across all concerned authorities with a common goal of bringing the games back to home ground for the fans," RCB said in a release.
"RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru."
"The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground," the franchise added.
The franchise said that the two "home matches" in Raipur will be as "per prior commitment."
RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said the fans deserve to watch their team compete at home.
"The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive," he said.
"The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home."
"After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible," Menon added.
