US and Taliban leaders to hold first talks since Afghan withdrawal

The talks are to take place in Doha, the capital of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, officials on both sides said

Afghans watch as Taliban fighters ride atop a humvee after detaining four men who got involved in a street fight in Kabul, Afghanistan. Picture: AP

Senior Taliban officials and US representatives are to hold talks this weekend about containing extremist groups in Afghanistan and easing the evacuation of foreign citizens and Afghans from the country.

This is the first such meeting since US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in late August, ending a 20-year military presence there and leading to the Taliban regaining power in the nation.