There is some major egg on the faces of Kandahar Province security officials today, after the Taliban managed to trick them into releasing 12 detained fighters from prison.
The trick was a fairly simple one. The Taliban penned an official looking letter calling for the releases of 30 prisoners, including 18 that were all scheduled for release at the time, and 12 of their fighters.
They sent the letter to the prison in question on Tuesday, who didn’t question it and released everyone immediately. Officials say they later realized the mistake and recaptured two of them.
Afghan officials say an investigation is being launched into how the releases happened, but it seems fairly straightforward. No word on if this was the first time the Taliban had tried this, but it likely won’t be the last.