KABUL - The Afghan Special Forces have rescued more than 30 people including children from a Taliban-run prison in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan military officials in the South, the prisoners were rescued during an operation in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A spokesman for the 215th Maiwan Corps of the Army Abdul Qadir Bahadurzai confirmed that the raid was conducted in the vicinity of Nawzad disrict.
He said at least four children under the age of 12 were also among those rescued durig the operation.
The local officials are saying that the civilians were apparently abducted on charges of supporting the government or having relations with the security personnel.
The Taliban militants in the meantime claim that the individuals rescued during the operation were arrested by the Taliban fighters on various criminal charges.
Helmand is among the relatively volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in its various districts and often carry out insurgency activities.