Afghan officials hint at re-opening Taliban talks

Representatives from the Afghan government have met with a top-ranking Taliban member in his prison cell in Pakistan, an official said, suggesting a small step toward re-opening stalled peace talks with the insurgent group.

The confirmation came at the end of a bloody weekend that showed how unstable the country is, though Nato is aiming to hand over security responsibility to local forces at the end of 2014 after more than a decade of warfare against insurgents.

Afghanistan’s international allies hope that bringing the Taliban to the table will ease the pressure on the Afghan government as international forces pull out.