Zaranj, Afghanistan — Iran transferred 199 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban on Thursday evening through the Silk Bridge border crossing in Nimroz Province, Taliban officials said.
Yousuf Mistari, the head of the Taliban’s General Directorate for Prison Affairs, said during the handover ceremony that a total of 484 Afghan prisoners, held in Iran on various criminal charges, are expected to be transferred following negotiations between the two sides.
According to the Taliban governor’s press office in Nimroz, two Iranian prisoners were also handed over to Iranian authorities on Thursday evening “as a gesture of goodwill and positive cooperation.”
The exchange follows recent talks between Taliban officials and Iranian authorities aimed at facilitating the transfer of Afghan nationals imprisoned in Iran.
