Thousands of prominent Afghans on Sunday approved the release of about 400 Taliban prisoners accused of serious crimes, including many involved in attacks that killed scores of Afghans and foreigners. The resolution recommending the release of the prisoners was passed at the end of a three-day "loya jirga" -- a traditional Afghan meeting of tribal elders and other stakeholders sometimes held to decide on controversial issues. "In order to remove the hurdles for the start of peace talks, stopping bloodshed, and for the good of the public, the jirga approves the release of 400 prisoners as demanded by the Taliban," jirga member Atefa Tayeb announced. The prisoners' fate is a crucial hurdle in launching peace talks between the two warring sides in Afghanistan, which have committed to completing a prisoner exchange before the talks. us/ecl/qan