Taliban authorities have detained a Chinese-American, two Britons and their interpreter, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said on Monday evening.

“Efforts are under way to resolve this issue,” he said.

The British couple were arrested alongside a Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, and a translator from their training business, Britain’s PA news agency reported.

Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, Entwistle said her parents had initially kept in touch via text messages following their detention – assuring their four children that they were fine – before losing all contact three days later.

“Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention. However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait,” she said.