The Taliban say they have freed two American prisoners in a prisoner exchange, including Ryan Corbett’s family.

Islamabad, Pakistan — The Afghan Taliban announced the release of two Americans Tuesday in a prisoner exchange.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul did not name the two U.S. citizens, but said they were being exchanged for Bekham Mohammad, who was captured in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province two decades ago and is serving a life sentence in a California prison.

The family of Ryan Corbett, one of the Americans on the exchange, said Tuesday morning that “their hearts are filled with gratitude to have them home after 894 of the most challenging and uncertain days of our lives.”

In the year Corbett, who was living with his family in Afghanistan during the fall of the US-backed government in 2021, was kidnapped by the Taliban in August 2022 while on a business trip.

The family’s statement thanked President Trump, former President Joe Biden, several administration officials and Qatar for facilitating Corbett’s release and expressed hope that two other Americans held in Afghanistan would also be freed.

Who was the second American freed — George Gleizmann and Mahmoud Habibi — and there is no US confirmation of their release.

The Taliban ministry said the exchange was the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the US and a good example of resolving problems through dialogue.

“The Islamic Emirates views positively the actions of the United States of America that help normalize and develop relations between the two countries,” the statement said.

Last week Biden spoke to the relatives of three Americans. The U.S. government was trying to bring them home from Afghanistan, but at the time there was no deal to repatriate them, family members said.