Peace talks between the Taliban and the US are progressing on a \u201cstep-by-step\u201d basis, a spokesman from the militant group said on Sunday, following a bloody attack on a joint US-Afghan base claimed by the insurgents.
\nMeetings between the two sides restarted over the weekend in Doha after a temporary halt late last week to allow for \u201cinternal deliberations\u201d.
\n\u201cThe current round of talks in Doha are advancing on a step-by-step basis. As the issue at hand is immensely crucial and delicate, it\u2019s progression is taking place with that much care and vigilance,\u201d said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement sent to media.
\nThe spokesman added the negotiations continue to focus primarily on a potential US troop withdrawal and a pact to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a safe haven for terrorists. The latest meetings follow marathon talks in January that saw the US and the Taliban walk away with a \u201cdraft framework\u201d on the two issues.
\n\u201cIt should be mentioned that no understanding has so far been reached about any agreement or document,\u201d Mujahid added.
\nThe US has not released a statement regarding the status of the talks.
\nA New York Times report published on Thursday hinted that US forces could leave Afghanistan within five years under a Pentagon plan offered as part of a potential deal with the Taliban to end the nearly 18-year war.
\nThe Taliban were quick to reject the claims, saying they were unaware of any such proposals made during the months-long diplomatic push.
\nThe US has also pushed for a ceasefire and the opening of a dialogue between the Taliban and the Kabul government \u2014 demands that have been repeatedly rejected by the insurgents. The continuation of the talks follows a major attack on a joint US-Afghan base in southwestern Afghanistan\u2019s Helmand province on Friday, with at least 23 security forces killed in the hours-long assault on one of the largest military installations in the country.
\nHeavy snowfall across large swathes of Afghanistan has led to a sharp reduction in violence this winter, but warmer weather in the country\u2019s south will likely spark an increase in bloodshed with the arrival of the spring fighting season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Peace talks between the Taliban and the US are progressing on a \u201cstep-by-step\u201d basis, a spokesman from the militant group said on Sunday, following a bloody attack on a joint US-Afghan base claimed by the insurgents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c59-islamic-world"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n