KABUL - Taliban say they are willing to announce a ceasefire with US forces in Afghanistan if they halt all military operations against the militant movement.
Taliban negotiators conveyed their position to US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen. Scott Miller in Doha, according to The News.
Unnamed Taliban sources in Qatar and Afghanistan told the newspaper they had resumed the peace process from where it was halted by President Donald Trump in September.
"Much of the peace process has already been discussed and agreed upon by the two sides and the US may announce the peace accord either over Christmas or the New Year," one Taliban leader privy to the talks was quoted as saying.
This time around, the Taliban said, they believed the US was serious about the peace parleys. They called the US military commander’s participation in the negotiation as an important move.
"We have given them two options --either we announce a complete ceasefire in case they stop operations against us (Taliban) or we stop targeting them in areas from where they withdraw their troops."
Khalilzad and Miller reportedly shared with the Taliban the exact locations of their bases and installations. "They wanted to ensure security of these installations and their non-governmental organisations even after their withdrawal…”
Taliban leaders acknowledged US forces had considerably reduced operations and airstrikes against rebels, particularly after President Donald Trump’s visit to Afghanistan. (Pajhwok)