Taliban warns of deteriorating health of U.S. hostage

The Taliban has warned U.S. Officials about the deteriorating health of Kevin King, an American University Professor it held hostage.

The militant group said in an email on Monday that King, a 60-year-old U.S. citizen, is suffering from heart and kidney problems.

King and Timothy John Weeks, a 48-year-old Australian, were kidnapped by the Taliban in August 2016.

The statement said that King’s condition “has exponentially worsened, his feet have begun swelling and he frequently losses consciousness’’.

The militants warned that if their demands are not met then they would not be responsible if “the illness of King becomes incurable or he loses his life.’’

The Taliban also blamed U.S. authorities for delaying the negotiations for the release of the professors.

On June 22, the militants released a new video in which the two professors were seen asking the U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate their release.

According to the professors’ statement in the video, their captors were seeking the release of their associates from Bagram and Pul-i-Charkhi jails in exchange for their freedom.