Afghan troops free 101 Taliban jail inmates

Afghan special forces freed 101 civilians and soldiers held by the Taliban in three prisons in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, an official source said on Monday.

The hostages were rescued in several operations launched on Sunday night in the districts of Nawzad, Marjah and Nahri Sarraj, Afghan Defence Ministry spokesperson Dawlat Waziri told EFE news.

 “We are classifying the prisoners and then we will provide more details – the number of soldiers and civilians and other specifications,” Waziri said, adding that the hostages are now in a safe place. Afghan troops are engaged in a fierce battle with the Taliban in Helmand, where the insurgents control wide stretches of the province and even a part of its capital, Lashkargah, over which armed forces are continuing to fight.