This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 19, 2019, a significant prisoner exchange took place in Doha, Qatar, between the Taliban and the Afghan government, facilitated by the United States.
As part of this exchange, three Taliban prisoners, including Anas Haqqani, a rising star in the Haqqani network, were flown to Doha, where the Taliban have a political office.
Haqqani, a senior Taliban commander, was captured in 2014 along with his brother, who is a member of the Taliban negotiating team in Doha.
The other two Taliban prisoners, Hafiz Abdul Rashid and Hajji Mali Khan, are also members of the Haqqani network, a brutal wing of the Taliban based in Pakistan's tribal areas.
According to officials, the exchange also included the release of 10 members of the Afghan security forces being held by the Taliban, although their status was not confirmed on the day of the exchange.
The prisoner exchange was facilitated by the United States, which has prioritized recovering American hostages held overseas, including the failing health of American hostage Mark Frerichs, who was not mentioned in this article.
