American Woman Released from Taliban Custody in Afghanistan

Faye Dail Hall, an American woman detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, was released after negotiations led by Qatari mediators. She was accused of using a drone without permission. Hall is the fourth American released since January, following the recent freeing of George Glezmann.

An American woman, Faye Dail Hall, has been released from custody in Afghanistan by the Taliban after weeks of detention, as confirmed by a social media post from a former U.S. diplomat.

Detained in February for allegedly operating a drone without authorization, Hall was released Thursday after effective negotiations spearheaded by Qatari intermediaries, according to an anonymous informant familiar with the case. The former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, verified Hall's release on X, celebrating her imminent return home. Hall marks the fourth American freed since January.

Earlier this month, George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was released after two years in custody. His release was part of a separate arrangement executed on the final day of the Biden administration, which also secured the freedom of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty. Meanwhile, in Kabul, officials disclosed that the U.S. had removed bounties from three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister responsible for a feared network targeting Afghanistan's former Western-supported leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)