The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that on Thursday 10 Afghan soldiers were handed over to the organization by the Taliban.

“The 10 Afghan National Security Forces members were released and handed over to the ICRC in Helmand Province, in the District of Nahr-e Saraj,” Juan Pedro Schaerer, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Afghanistan said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

“We transferred them across the frontline to Lashkar Gah where we handed them over to the Afghan authorities at the governor’s office, said Schaerer.

This follows the release of three prisoners of the Haqqani network in exchange for two Western professors earlier in the week.

US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad announced the release in two tweets :

“Welcome the news that the Taliban released 10 Afghan soldiers today. This action followed the release of Taliban prisoners by the Afghan government, and the separate Taliban goodwill gesture of releasing two Afghanistan professors” and “Hopeful these steps lead to a reduction in violence and rapid progress towards a political settlement involving the Afghan government, the Taliban, and other Afghan leaders. The Afghan people yearn for peace and security, and we stand with them.”