US resident, citizen held captive in Afghanistan now released: State Dept.

WASHINGTON

An American citizen and lawful permanent resident have been released "after being unjustly detained" in Afghanistan, the State Department announced on Friday.

Safiullah Rauf and Anees Khalil are now in Qatar, and will travel back to the US from there, spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

"Unjustly holding Americans captive is always unacceptable, and we will not stop until every American who is being unjustly held against their will is able to hug their families once again," said Price.

CNN first reported their release.

Rauf, 27, is a former Afghan refugee who is a reservist with the US Navy. He had been doing humanitarian work in Kabul after the Taliban seized power. Khalil is his brother.

Both were taken into custody by the Taliban on Dec. 18, according to a statement from Rauf's non-profit, the Human First Coalition.

"Anees and I wish to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to secure our release as well as everyone who has supported the humanitarian efforts of our organization Human First Coalition," Rauf said in a statement.

"At this time, we are looking forward to reuniting with our family and loved ones and ultimately, I hope we can continue to advocate for and seek ways to serve the Afghan people in this critical time of need in Afghanistan," he added.