125 Afghan policemen freed by Taliban

Kabul: Taliban militants on Sunday set free all 125 police personnel a day after their capture in Badakhshan province, officials said.

An earlier media report said the policemen had joined the Taliban after three days of fighting in the province, over 300 km northeast of Kabul.

"Taliban militants set free all 125 police personnel on Sunday in Tirgaran area of Wardoj district," district governor Dawlat Mohammad Khawar told Xinhua.

The militants, after three days of fierce fighting, captured a military base in Tirgaran valley on Saturday evening and detained the 125 police personnel.

However, the militants set them free on Sunday afternoon.

Badakhshan police chief General Baba Jan told local media that some officials after reaching deal with the Taliban handed over the control of the military base to the militants.