A Taliban spokesman says three Taliban prisoners who were to be freed in exchange for an American and an Australian national, both kidnapped in 2016, are still in custody in Bagram prison, north of the capital Kabul.
Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday the three Taliban prisoners did not show up at an exchange site that had been agreed upon with the US, though Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said they would be freed.
Mujahid had no explanation for the no-show.
The three Taliban prisoners include Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of the Taliban's deputy chief Sirajuddin Haqqani, who also leads the fearsome Haqqani militant network.
They were to be exchanged for American University of Afghanistan professors, American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks.
Mujahid said the professors are still in Taliban custody.
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