The Taliban mentioned Sunday they’ve agreed to a short lived ceasefire in Afghanistan, offering a window throughout which a peace settlement with the US could possibly be signed.
A peace deal would permit Washington to convey residence its troops from Afghanistan and finish America’s longest navy engagement of 18 years. The U.S. needs any deal to incorporate a promise from the Taliban that Afghanistan wouldn’t used as a base by terrorist teams. The U.S. at present has an estimated 12,000 troops stationed within the nation.
The Taliban chief should approve the settlement, however that’s anticipated. The period of the ceasefire was not specified however it’s being recommended it might final for 10 days.
4 members of the Taliban negotiating crew met for per week with the ruling council earlier than they agreed on the transient ceasefire.
The negotiating crew returned Sunday to Qatar the place the Taliban preserve their political workplace and the place U.S. particular peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been holding peace talks with the spiritual militia since September 2018.
A key pillar of the settlement, which the U.S. and Taliban have been hammering out for greater than a yr, is direct negotiations between Afghans on each side of the battle.
These negotiations are anticipated to be held inside two weeks of the signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal. They’ll possible resolve what a post-war Afghanistan will appear like, and what function the Taliban will play.
The negotiations would cowl a variety of topics, such because the rights of ladies, free speech and the destiny of the tens of hundreds of Taliban fighters, in addition to the closely armed militias belonging to Afghanistan’s warlords who’ve amassed wealth and energy for the reason that Taliban’s ouster.
The momentary ceasefire had been proposed by U.S. envoy Khalilzad over the last spherical of talks.
The Taliban have beforehand refused all gives of a ceasefire by the Afghan authorities, aside from a three-day truce in June 2018 over the Eid al-Fitr vacation, a spiritual celebration that marks the tip of fasting for Ramadan.
Taliban assault kills 17
Solely hours earlier than Sunday’s settlement, a Taliban assault in northern Afghanistan killed not less than 17 native militiamen, an Afghan official mentioned Sunday.
The assault apparently focused a neighborhood militia commander who escaped unhurt, mentioned Jawad Hajri, a spokesperson for the governor of Takhar province, the place the assault came about late Saturday.
Native Afghan militias generally function in distant areas, and are below the command of both the defence or inside ministries.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed accountability for the assault.
Final Monday, an American soldier was additionally killed in fight within the northern Kunduz province. The Taliban claimed they had been behind a deadly roadside bombing that focused American and Afghan forces in Kunduz.
The next day, a Taliban assault on a checkpoint killed not less than seven Afghan military troopers within the northern Balkh province.
One other six Afghan troops had been killed in the identical province Thursday in an assault on a military base. At the least 10 Afghan troopers had been killed Friday in a posh assault on a checkpoint within the southern Helmand province.
The Taliban incessantly goal Afghan and U.S. forces, in addition to authorities officers. However scores of Afghan civilians are additionally killed within the crossfire or by roadside bombs planted by militants.
