ISLAMABAD – 11 key Taliban commanders have reportedly been released by USfrom Military Base in exchange for three Indian hostages, internationalmedia has reported.

A group of eleven key Taliban prisoners is reported to have been releasedfrom the U.S.-run Bagram military base in Afghanistan in exchange for threeIndian hostages.

Insurgent sources said Sunday the swap took place in the northern provinceof Baghlan and two former Taliban provincial governors were among thosefreed. Taliban men could be seen being welcomed by insurgent fighters invideo images released via social media.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid when asked for his comments on thereported swap told VOA “I have not received the details. I am trying to getthem and will share with you.”

There was no immediate reaction from U.S. officials or the Afghangovernment.

The Indian hostages were abducted last year along with four othercountrymen while they were working on a project in Baghlan for theconstruction of a power generation station. One of them managed to escapeand returned to India this past May while the fate of the rest was notknown.

Many of the districts in the troubled Afghan province are either controlledor hotly contested by the Taliban.