Washington (AFP) - The Taliban government has released two Americans held in Afghanistan, the US State Department announced Tuesday, a day the militant group faced condemnation for banning women's college education.

"We understand that it was a goodwill gesture on the part of the Taliban. It was not about any exchange of prisoners or detainees. No money was paid," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

He explained that confidentiality rules prevented him from providing more details about the two Americans.

Their release comes on the day the Taliban government banned women in Afghanistan from attending universities, drawing condemnation from the United States , which warned the move would incur costs for the militant movement.

Price said, "We do not miss the irony that they made a gesture of goodwill towards us on the day they took such a step towards the Afghan people," adding, "The question is directed to the Taliban about the timing of this matter."

The United States has repeatedly condemned the Taliban's record since the hardline movement returned to power last year when President Joe Biden withdrew US forces from Afghanistan, leading to the collapse of the Western-backed government after two decades in power.

But the Biden administration said the Taliban were largely cooperative during that period in allowing American citizens to leave.