The U.S and Taliban are close to A Peace Deal in Afghanistan

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Washington’s peace envoy said the US and the militant group are at the threshold of an agreement to end America’s longest war. On Sunday, the Taliban attacked a city in Afghanistan in as many days on and killed several members of security forces. The officials said that the attack on the capital of Baghlan province came hours after U.S envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said he warned the Taliban during talks in Qatar that violence like this must be stopped. But he appeared determined to move forward on a deal that plans the withdrawal of some 14,000 remaining U.S troops in exchange for Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used as a launch-pad for global attacks. Khalilzad was visiting Kabul on Sunday to brief the Afghan government on a deal.

Both he and the Taliban confirmed the latest round of talks had ended. The attacks are seen as strengthening the negotiating position of the Taliban. They have controlled or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan. Taliban are at their strongest since their 2001 defeat by a U.S-led invasion. Some critics warn that the Taliban are merely waiting out the U.S and that another U.S goal in the talks, a ceasefire, likely will not happen as foreign troops leave. The spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, Jawed Basharat said gun battles continued on the outskirts of its capital, Puli Khumri.

The Afghan interior ministry said 4 civilians and 2 members of the Afghan security forces were killed, and 20 civilians and 2 security forces wounded. The ministry said Taliban fighters had also been killed. The provincial council member Mabobullah Ghafari said he had seen the bodies of at least 6 members of the security forces and that the situation was worsening by the hour. Ghafari said, “People are fleeing their houses and properties trying to escape from the city”. He added that the Taliban had occupied some checkpoints with no resistance from security forces. The provincial council chief, Safdar Mohseni said, “We hear the sound of blasts. The people are so worried”. The Taliban are in residential areas fighting with Afghan security forces. We need reinforcements to arrive as soon as possible”.