THE Taliban have bizarrely claimed the arrest of a British couple in Afghanistan was due to a “misunderstanding.”

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested on February 1 on their way back home to the Bamiyan province.

They were reportedly arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers.

But the Taliban said today that the couple were detained due to a “misunderstanding” that they had fake Afghan passports.

It remains unclear whether the two Brits have been released.

It comes after the group said on Monday was aiming to release the Brits “as soon as possible”.

Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani told the BBC: “A series of considerations is being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.”

The Reynolds – who are also Afghan citizens – allegedly texted their children following their arrests saying they did not want Western authorities to get involved, Sky reports.

The pair’s four children said last week their parents ran training schools in Afghanistan for 18 years, despite the rise of the Taliban in 2021.

The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an organisation that provides education and training programs for businesses, government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups.

The Brits, who married in Kabul in 1970, have had their home in Nayak raided by cops.

Peter and Barbie told their kids they were detained at the interior ministry before their lines went down.

One of their children, Sarah Entwistle urged the British consulate to do everything in their power to help.

She told Times Radio: “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.”

Sarah previously told The Sunday Times: “This is really bad.

“My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and [he] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke.

The couple, along with another foreigner and a local, were taken from central Bamiyan province to the capital Kabul over three weeks ago.

Barbie had even become the first woman to be recognised with a certificate of appreciation from the Taliban regime.

Sarah added: “They were just trying to help the country they loved.

“The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous.”

Peter and Barbie’s children have sent a letter to the Taliban begging the horror group to let their parents go.

The letter read: “Our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan, stating that they would rather sacrifice their lives than become part of ransom negotiations or be traded.

“We trust that this is not your intention, as we are instructed to respect their wishes to remain with you.”