Taliban frees American Dennis Coyle 14 months after his capture

WASHINGTON — Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced Tuesday that it had freed US detainee Dennis Coyle, who Kabul had held in captivity since January 2025.

Coyle’s family had pushed for his release in an impassioned letter to the regime, and Afghanistan’s foreign ministry announced that he would be set free for Eid, the Islamic festival to mark the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan undertakes this action on the basis of humanitarian compassion and goodwill,” Kabul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“It has further strengthened the atmosphere of trust between the two countries,” it added. “Likewise, it expresses the hope that both countries will, in the future, find ways to resolve the remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.”

Coyle, a Colorado native, had lived in Afghanistan for