By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. could place a “very big bounty” on the highest leaders of the Taliban, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Saturday, including he was listening to that the Taliban held extra American hostages than beforehand reported.

“Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported,” Rubio mentioned in a publish on social media platform X.

“If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden,” he added.

The publish didn’t give additional particulars or specify the variety of Individuals held by the Taliban.

Authorities in Kabul mentioned previously week that america freed an Afghan convicted by an American court docket on fees of drug smuggling and extremism in trade for 2 U.S. residents held in Afghanistan.

Afghan officers mentioned on Tuesday the person, Khan Mohammad, had landed in Kabul after being launched. A spokesman for the Taliban administration confirmed that two Individuals have been launched within the trade.

One of many Individuals launched was Ryan Corbett, in keeping with an announcement by his household. Corbett had been in Taliban detention since 2022, in keeping with the household. U.S. media retailers mentioned the opposite American launched was named William McKenty.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 following a chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the nation after 20 years of conflict.

The Worldwide Felony Court docket prosecutor mentioned on Thursday he had utilized for arrest warrants for 2 Taliban leaders in Afghanistan together with supreme non secular chief Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of ladies and ladies.