Afghan Taliban Dismisses Reports of Deal with US
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, dismissed as false media reports that the group has reached a deal in talks with the US over a truce.
The fourth round of talks between the Taliban and the US ended on Saturday evening after six days, and apparently, these negotiations have made some progress.
Mujahid, in a statement, said the two sides discussed the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and other important issues.
He added that the Taliban and the US managed to make progress on the withdrawal of the foreign troops.
The Taliban spokesman, however, dismissed reports that a cease-fire agreement was reached and that the group agreed to negotiate with the Afghan government.
Earlier, Reuters quoted sources as saying that Taliban negotiators and the US officials meeting in Qatar on Saturday finalized clauses to be included in a draft agreement to end the 17-year-old Afghan war.
Details provided by the sources include apparent concessions from both sides, with foreign forces to be withdrawn from the country in 18 months from the future signing of the deal, Reuters reported.
US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was heading to Afghan capital Kabul to brief President Ashraf Ghani after the end of the six-day talks, the sources and a diplomat said.