"The unconditional release of our four colleagues is a great relief to us and their families," said Franz Rauchenstein, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Kabul.

The ICRC had contacted all parties concerned over the past three days, to ensure the swift release of its personnel. Two of the staff members involved are from Afghanistan, one is from Myanmar and the other from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The ICRC has been protecting and assisting the victims of armed conflict in Afghanistan since 1987. The organization’s independence and neutrality, and its mandate under international humanitarian law, have allowed it to act as a neutral intermediary on several occasions.