SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian teacher held captive with an American colleague by the Taliban for more than three years believes U.S. Navy SEALs tried and failed six times to free them.

Timothy Weeks was released last month in a prisoner swap along with American Kevin King, ending an ordeal that began with their 2016 abduction outside the American University in Kabul, where they worked.

Weeks told reporters in Sydney he believes SEALs repeatedly attempted rescue missions, sometimes missing by only hours when the pair was moved to other locations by their captors.

Despite perceptions of the Taliban, Weeks says some of his guards were “lovely, lovely people” who were “so compassionate.”

He’s expressed thanks to President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for their work in arranging their release.