Bowe Bergdahl: US soldier handover

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl being handed over to US forces

The Taliban have released a video showing the moment Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to US forces after five years in captivity in Afghanistan.

The footage shows him sitting in a pick-up truck, before being walked to a helicopter in Khost province.

The US soldier was freed on Saturday in exchange for the release of five Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The deal has caused controversy in the US, with Republicans warning it could put American lives at risk.

The army has said it will review the circumstances surrounding Sgt Bergdahl's capture in 2009.

The top-ranking US military officer, Gen Martin Dempsey, also raised the possibility that the soldier could be prosecuted if he had abandoned his post before his seizure.

Sgt Bergdahl, from Hailey, Idaho, is in a stable condition in a military hospital in Germany.

Bilal Sarwary, BBC News, Kabul

Local sources in Khost have told the BBC that members of the Haqqani network handed over Sgt Bowe Bergdahl in the remote valley of Betani, 40km (25 miles) from Pakistan's Waziristan region.

The area is controlled by the group and its commander, Mullah Tajmir, who served as a senior intelligence official during the Taliban regime, and has close ties to Sirajuddin Haqqani and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

The US has long described the Haqqani group as a major threat. The network - which has also links to al-Qaeda - has carried out a series of high-profile attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistan-based militant network was designated a terrorist group by the US in 2012, making it subject to sanctions.

White flag

The video, released on Wednesday, shows the soldier dressed in traditional Afghan clothing as he sits waiting in the truck.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl is seen sitting in a pick-up truck guarded by armed men

The US soldier, who was captured in Afghanistan in 2009, appears slightly dazed in the video

The moment Sgt Bergdahl is being handed over to US forces in Khost province

The US Army said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding his capture

Several armed men with covered faces are seen standing next to the vehicle and on the hillside.

A Black Hawk helicopter then lands and the Taliban fighters - one of whom carries a stick with a white flag - lead Sgt Bergdahl to a meeting point where he is being taken away by US forces.

The exchange took place in Ali Sher district of Khost province near the Pakistan border.

Since Sgt Bergdahl's release, a growing chorus of opposition Republicans have criticised President Barack Obama's decision to agree to the prisoner swap.

They have described it as a deal with terrorists, and say the transfer of five Taliban senior prisoners from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Qatar, endangers Americans.

Some also accused Mr Obama of contravening a law requiring the White House to notify Congress 30 days in advance of any transfers of prisoners from Guantanamo.

'Sacred rule'

But the president defended his decision, saying America had a "pretty sacred rule" not to leave soldiers behind.

"We don't leave our men or women in uniform behind and that dates back to the earliest days," he said.

The administration argued that delaying the soldier's transfer to comply with congressional rules could have put the deal at risk.

The exchange has received support from Admiral Mike Mullen, who was chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff when Sgt Bergdahl was captured.

"In every war at some point in time, you do sit down and negotiate," he told the BBC.

"I was encouraged by the fact that at least the Taliban could sit down, conduct a negotiation, and in fact, come to some conclusion. So there may be a possibility to resolve this long term in those kind of negotiations."

The soldier's parents, Jani and Robert Bergdahl, have tirelessly campaigned for their son's release

   Sgt Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, celebrated his release

The circumstances of Sgt Bergdahl's capture remain unclear, with speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign.

"When he is able to provide the facts, we'll learn what happened," said Gen Dempsey, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty. Our army's leaders will not look away from misconduct if it occurred. In the meantime, we will continue to care for him and his family."

Sgt Bergdahl's parents - who have relentlessly campaigned for his release - earlier confirmed they still had not spoken to their son.

His father said he would be flown to an army medical centre in Texas following medical treatment in Germany.

Who are the freed Guantanamo detainees?

• Mohammad Fazl served as the Taliban's deputy defence minister during America's military campaign in 2001. Accused of possible war crimes, including the murder of thousands of Shia Muslims.
• Khirullah Khairkhwa was a senior Taliban official serving as interior minister and governor of Herat, Afghanistan's third largest city. Alleged to have had direct links to Osama Bin Laden.
• Abdul Haq Wasiq was the Taliban's deputy minister of intelligence. Said to have been central in forming alliances with other Islamist groups to fight against US and coalition forces.
• Mullah Norullah Noori was a senior Taliban military commander and a governor. Also accused of being involved in the mass killings of Shia Muslims.
• Mohammad Nabi Omari held multiple Taliban leadership roles, including chief of security. Alleged to have been involved in attacks against US and coalition forces.