KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Special Forces successfully freed dozens of Afghan security personnel from a Taliban prison during a joint operation with local forces, American military officials said Friday.

Ground troops from the Afghan Special Security Forces and the U.S. Special Mission Wing conducted a helicopter assault mission in the Nawzad district of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, the U.S. military said in a news release.

Afghan military spokesman Gen Dawlat Waziri said over 60 prisoners — including Afghan security personnel, policemen and civilians — were freed in the operation.

The U.S. statement said 40 Afghan security personnel had been freed.

"The liberated prisoners were released to the Ministry of Defense authorities to receive medical care. The information on their initial capture is not known," it said.

Waziri said more information on the freed prisoners would be released later.