Afghan official says government will hold talks with Taliban

An Afghan official says the government will hold its first-ever direct talks with the Taliban, with the meeting expected within the next two weeks.

The Taliban have been holding peace talks with the United States for nearly a year but have refused to meet with the government, viewing it as an American puppet.

Abdul Salam Rahimi, Afghanistan's state minister for peace affairs, said Sunday that a 15-member government delegation will meet with the Taliban in Europe, without elaborating.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is currently visiting Kabul, tweeted that another round of "intra-Afghan" talks will occur "after we conclude our own agreements."