UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two national staff members of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) who were detained by the Taliban have been released, a UN spokesman said Thursday.
The two staff members gained freedom Thursday morning. They appear to be in good health, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
"We understand that the charges against them have been dropped, so we are delighted they are out," Dujarric said at a daily press briefing.
When asked what charges the two staffers faced, he said, "The circumstances of their detention, what they had been accused of, and all that remains very unclear, and we're trying to get more details."
Dujarric said that UNAMA has not been formally notified of the reasons for their initial arrest and detention.
The United Nations is continuing to follow up with the Taliban, with a focus on ensuring respect for the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, as well as the safety, security, and freedom of movement of the UN staff and associated personnel as they go about their mandated work, he said.
The two staffers were detained on Aug. 9 by officials of the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence in Herat, a city in western Afghanistan. ■