Afghanistan releases 100 Taliban prisoners

The Afghan government yesterday released 100 Taliban prisoners, an official told AFP, a day after the insurgents said they were walking out of talks with Kabul. The two foes have been negotiating in Kabul since last week to try to finalise a prisoner swap that was originally supposed to have happened by March 10 and pave the way for "intra-Afghan" peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban. But the swap has been beset with problems, with Kabul claiming the Taliban want 15 "top commanders" to be released, while the insurgents have accused Afghan authorities of needlessly wasting time.