The Afghan government has offered to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners, saying it is "impossible" to release more, as demanded by the Taliban to start peace talks envisaged under a deal with the United States.
The United States has warned the Taliban on March 10 that the current level of violence by the militants “is unacceptable” to advancing the peace process as the UN Security Council supported a U.S.-led effort to end Afghanistan’s nearly two-decade old war.
Iran says the novel coronavirus has killed 54 more people in the country, raising the death toll to 291.
Afghanistan's incumbent president and his main political challenger have both sworn themselves in as president.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is for a "unified and sovereign Afghanistan" and opposes "any action to establish a parallel government," hours after the country's president and his main election rival held dual and competing inauguration ceremonies on March 9.
A U.S. official says U.S. forces have begun leaving Afghanistan under the first phase of an initial troop withdrawal required under the newly signed U.S.-Taliban peace agreement.
Both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, have declared themselves president in competing ceremonies held in Kabul on March 9.
Both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, were preparing to declare themselves president in parallel ceremonies in Kabul slated for March 9.
The Taliban says talks scheduled this week with Afghanistan’s government are unlikely to take place on time because of plans by two rivals for the Afghan presidency to conduct parallel swearing-in ceremonies.
The Taliban says its peace pact with the United States does not alter the status of the insurgent group’s supreme leader as the “lawful ruler” of Afghanistan, saying he is duty-bound by religion to establish an “Islamic government” after foreign “occupation” troops exit the country.
Gunmen have opened fire at a ceremony in Kabul, killing at least 32 people in the first major attack in the Afghan capital since the United States and Taliban agreed to a troop withdrawal.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called Taliban fighters "warriors" and said the extremist group's leader has a difficult task in trying to get them to end their violent attacks.
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