Afghan officials, Taliban hold ‘serious discussions’ on peace process in Doha

Negotiators from the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group have held a series of talks in the Qatari capital of Doha to discuss the stalled peace process as fighting escalates between the two sides.

Najia Anwari, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry for Peace Affairs, said on Saturday that “serious discussions are taking place between the Afghan Republic and the Taliban negotiators” in Doha.

“These meetings are held every single night between the two sides and the discussions are focused on a number of important issues,” Anwari added.

The spokesman underlined that the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have over the past few days exchanged views on at least five key issues, including a future constitution, ceasefire, political roadmap and political participation in the transition period.

Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's office in Qatar, also confirmed in a statement that the heads of both teams, along with some of their negotiators, had met in Doha.

"They discussed topics of the agenda, accelerating the Afghan negotiations process and reaching mutual understanding in this regard," he said.

The meetings were the first announced gathering of both sides since mid-May and after the talks stalled in April, when the United States announced it would complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by September 11.

Since the beginning of the pullout earlier this year, violence has escalated across the war-ravaged country and the Taliban have seized several regions of Afghanistan.

Taliban capture key district in southern Afghan province of Kandahar

The Taliban capture another key district after fierce night-time fighting with Afghan forces in southern Kandahar province.

‘No military solution'

The development comes as Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, has started touring the region amid the ongoing US military withdrawal.

Khalilzad said that he was “surprised” by recent advances by the Taliban but warned that a military takeover was not the solution to the conflict.

“I’m not surprised that the conflict has intensified, but I am surprised by the progress that the Talibs have made and I’m hoping that the Afghan forces with help from their friends will find their bearing and push back. But again, I repeat, there is no military solution,” Khalilzad said.

“The Taliban know that they need to be accepted as part of the future of Afghanistan, not to be a pariah,” he noted.

The Taliban say they now hold 85 percent of Afghanistan, controlling about 250 of the country's nearly 400 districts. The militant group on Saturday captured a district in the province of Laghman, neighboring Kabul, as well as a district in Herat province.

Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian has said efforts are underway to dislodge the Taliban from their newly acquired positions.

Afghan forces prepare to recapture key border crossing from Taliban: Officials

The Taliban said their militants had seized two crossings in western Afghanistan on Friday.

US President Joe Biden has said the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan will conclude on August 31 after nearly 20 years of war, ahead of the September 11 deadline.

About 650 American troops are likely to stay in Afghanistan to provide security at the US Embassy after US forces leave the country, The Associated Press reported last week. Hundreds of more troops will also stay at the Kabul airport.

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 under the pretext of the so-called war on terror. The invasion removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity and violence persist to this day.

Washington has spent trillions of dollars on the war, which has left hundreds of thousands of Afghan civilians dead.

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