US dispatches top Middle East envoy to press for peace talks in Afghanistan
- Zalmay Khalilzad plans to press for a deal on prisoner exchanges and a reduction in violence
- Afghan government forces killed 45 people, including civilians, in air strikes against Taliban fighters earlier last week
Washington has dispatched a special envoy for Afghanistan to press for peace talks between the government and Taliban fighters, with the diplomat expected to visit Kabul on a trip with stops in five nations, the US State Department said on Saturday.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad departed on Friday to travel to Kabul, Islamabad, Oslo and Sofia, the department said in a statement.
The United States is drawing down its troops in Afghanistan under an agreement struck in February with the Taliban.
The agreement aimed to pave the way for formal peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government, and Khalilzad’s task is to try and bring both sides to the table.
Khalilzad plans to press for a deal on prisoner exchanges and a reduction in violence, two issues that have hampered progress toward starting peace talks.
