Over 60 Afghan Hostages Freed From Taliban Prison - VOA

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Over 60 Afghan Hostages Freed From Taliban Prison

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN—

Afghan army commandos, with the support of the international military coalition, conducted an overnight raid and freed more than 60 prisoners from a Taliban-run detention center in southern Afghanistan, officials said Friday.

A statement from NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul said the illegal prison was located in the district of Now Zad in Helmand province. It said the Ktah Khas  – Afghanistan’s national counterterrorism unit – and an Afghan army commando unit "jointly conducted this successful mission. Coalition forces supported their Afghan partners in a train, advise and assist role."

The helicopter assault was staged "during the cover of darkness" in an effort to disrupt Taliban activities, according to the statement.

It added that Afghan forces did not sustain any casualties during the operation. Two insurgents were killed while "numerous were wounded and detained."

The freed prisoners were safely transported to neighboring Kandahar province before they were turned over to Afghan authorities.

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