The Taliban’s reclusive leader has said his group is willing to start peace negotiations – even as he urged more attacks on foreign troops.

The Afghan Taliban say they have reached a preliminary deal with the Gulf state of Qatar to open a liaison office there that could have a key role in peace talks to end more than a decade of war.

Nearly 80 American soldiers were wounded and two Afghan civilians were killed when a Taliban truck bomb struck an American base in eastern Afghanistan on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks against the United States, Nato said today.

The Afghan government has been holding secret talks for months with a Taliban group linked to al Qaida, a source said today.

The Taliban released a video today showing a US soldier who was captured more than five months ago in eastern Afghanistan.