SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants have set free 40 security personnel from their custody in northern Jawzjan province, an army spokesman in the northern region Abdul Hadi Jamal said Monday.

Jamal said a bunch of 40 security personnel, mostly policemen, had been released by the Taliban outfit and reached Jawzjan provincial capital Shiberghan on Sunday afternoon.

This was the second group of Afghan security personnel released in Jawzjan province over the past week. Earlier the militant group released 42 Afghan security personnel one week ago after capturing Qush Tepa district in the troubled Jawzjan province.

Taliban militants captured Qush Tepa district last week and reportedly arrested 90 security personnel based there.

The release of security personnel from Taliban custody was taking place amid the two-day intra-Afghan talks which opened in Qatar capital Doha on Sunday.

The Afghan government also announced the release of some 900 militants languishing in prisons, about one month ago as a good will gesture to accelerate the ongoing peace process and national reconciliation in the conflict-battered country. Enditem

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