By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. may place a “very large sum” on top Taliban leaders, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday, adding that he had heard the Taliban had captured more Americans than previously reported.
“Just hearing that the Taliban has captured more Americans than reported,” Rubio said in a post on the X news platform.
“If this is true, we will have to put a VERY BIG credit on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than we had on Bin Laden,” he added.
The post did not provide further details or specify the number of Americans held by the Taliban.
Authorities in Kabul said last week that the United States had released an Afghan convicted by a US court of drug-trafficking and disorderly conduct charges in exchange for two US citizens held in Afghanistan.
Afghan officials said Tuesday that the man, Khan Mohammad, had arrived in Kabul after being released. A spokesman for the Taliban regime confirmed that two Americans had been released in the exchange.
The other American who was released was Ryan Corbett, according to his family. Corbett has been held captive by the Taliban since 2022, according to the family. American media say the other American released is William McKenty.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the US withdrawal from the country after 20 years of war.
The International Court of Justice prosecutor said on Thursday that he filed an arrest warrant for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, including the top spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of persecuting women and girls.