WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to reduce the number of its diplomats and withdraw thousands of its troops from Afghanistan as part of a possible peace deal with the Taliban ending the decades-long conflict there, US sources said.
The CNN website quoted well-informed sources that the administration of President Donald Trump is working to reduce the number of staff of the US Embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul.
This came as US officials announced that their country was preparing to withdraw thousands of its troops from Afghanistan under a tentative deal with the Taliban, including a cease-fire.
Washington is seeking a peace deal with the militant group that paves the way for a reduction in the number of US troops from about 14,000 now to nearly 9,000 in months.
A US State Department spokesman said the troop reduction was part of Trump's campaign to end the war in Afghanistan.
According to the newspaper, the plan was formulated after months of negotiations between the US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban in the Qatari capital Doha.
US officials said a final deal could be reached before the Afghan presidential elections in September, although they cautioned that significant challenges remain.
In a related context, Khalilzad asked Pakistan to persuade the Taliban to engage in direct dialogue with Kabul in the search for a comprehensive peace agreement. On the ground, the Taliban continued their operations against government security forces, where they attacked a police checkpoint in southern Dai Kundi district and killed 13 policemen, according to a local official.