The US and the Taliban met in Doha on Thursday, an American source close to the talks said, for potentially decisive dialogue to allow Washington to drawdown militarily in Afghanistan.

The source said the talks started around 1300 GMT &nbsp;the ninth time the two foes have met face-to-face.

The disclosure came in a context of ongoing bloodshed in Afghanistan after NATO said two US military personnel were killed Wednesday, blasts rocked Jalalabad Monday, and the death toll from a weekend wedding bombing reached 80.

Washington's top commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller was at the talks venue, according to a correspondent.&nbsp;

The US, which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban in 2001, wants to withdraw thousands of troops but only in return for the insurgent group renouncing Al-Qaeda and curbing attacks.&nbsp;

Washington is hoping to strike an agreement with the Taliban by September 1 -- ahead of Afghan polls due the same month, and US presidential polls due in 2020.

Taliban lead negotiator Abbas Stanikzai told on Thursday that overall talks had been "going well".

The talks are expected to focus on establishing a timeline for the US withdrawal of its more than 13,000 troops in Afghanistan.

"We've been there for 18 years, it's ridiculous," US President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday.

"We are negotiating with the government and we are negotiating with the Taliban," he said.

"We have good talks going and we will see what happens."

But the thorny issues of power-sharing with the Taliban, the role of regional powers including Pakistan and India, and the fate of Afghanistan's incumbent administration remain unresolved.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad sought to bolster optimism for a peace agreement last week when he said in a tweet that he hoped this is the final year that the country is at war.

The US and the Taliban met in Doha on Thursday, an American source close to the talks said, for potentially decisive dialogue to allow Washington to drawdown militarily in Afghanistan.

The US and the Taliban met in Doha on Thursday, an American source close to the talks said, for potentially decisive dialogue to allow Washington to drawdown militarily in Afghanistan. The source said the talks started around 1300 GMT the ninth time the two foes have met face-to-face. The disclosure came in a context of ongoing bloodshed in Afghanistan after NATO said two US military personnel were killed Wednesday, blasts rocked Jalalabad Monday, and the death toll from a weekend wedding bombing reached 80. Washington's top commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller was at the talks venue, according to a correspondent. The US, which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban in 2001, wants to withdraw thousands of troops but only in return for the insurgent group renouncing Al-Qaeda and curbing attacks. Washington is hoping to strike an agreement with the Taliban by September 1 -- ahead of Afghan polls due the same month, and US presidential polls due in 2020. Taliban lead negotiator Abbas Stanikzai told on Thursday that overall talks had been "going well". The talks are expected to focus on establishing a timeline for the US withdrawal of its more than 13,000 troops in Afghanistan. "We've been there for 18 years, it's ridiculous," US President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday. "We are negotiating with the government and we are negotiating with the Taliban," he said. "We have good talks going and we will see what happens." But the thorny issues of power-sharing with the Taliban, the role of regional powers including Pakistan and India, and the fate of Afghanistan's incumbent administration remain unresolved. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad sought to bolster optimism for a peace agreement last week when he said in a tweet that he hoped this is the final year that the country is at war.

Taliban talks resume amid hopes of deal: Report

The top US commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-troops-withdrawal-will-not-have-security-impact-on-afghanistan-presidential-spokesman-185677">pull forces out of the war-torn country</a>, NATO confirmed Monday, days after President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw 7,000 troops leaked to the media. &nbsp;

General Scott Miller's remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan as foreign diplomats and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-leader-replaces-top-security-chiefs-in-major-shake-up-186004">Afghan officials </a>digested the possibility of the United States exiting the 17-year war it started and is now leading efforts to end.&nbsp;

An American official told AFP late last week that Trump had decided to pull out "roughly half" of the 14,000 US forces in the country, but the White House has so far not confirmed the widely-publicised move.

"I have no orders, so nothing has changed," said Miller, who is also the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, during a meeting with the governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Tolo News.&nbsp;

The remarks were confirmed by NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul.&nbsp;

"But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you to know that we are still with the security forces. Even if I have to get a little bit smaller, we will be okay," Miller continued.

US troops make up the bulk of the Resolute Support mission to train and advise local forces fighting the Taliban and the Islamic State group.

Others are part of a US-led counter-terrorism mission.

While there has been no official announcement of a US drawdown, the mere suggestion of the United States reducing its military presence has rattled the Afghan capital.&nbsp;

Trump's decision apparently came Tuesday as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militants to the negotiating table with Kabul.

The Taliban has not issued a formal statement on Trump's plan, but a senior commander told AFP the group was "more than happy".

There are fears the hasty move could undermine Khalilzad's negotiating position, embolden the Taliban, and further erode morale among Afghan forces, which are suffering record losses.

Many Afghans are worried that President Ashraf Ghani's fragile unity government would collapse if US troops pulled out, enabling the Taliban to return to power and potentially sparking another bloody civil war.&nbsp;

A day after Miller's remarks, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived in Kabul for the start of a four-nation tour to discuss, among other things, peace efforts in Afghanistan.

Qureshi, who had hailed Trump's decision to slash troop numbers in Afghanistan as "a step forward" in the peace effort, will also visit Iran, China and Russia.&nbsp;

The top US commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pull forces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed Monday, days after President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw 7,000 troops leaked to the media.

The top US commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pull forces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed Monday, days after President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw 7,000 troops leaked to the media. General Scott Miller's remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan as foreign diplomats and Afghan officials digested the possibility of the United States exiting the 17-year war it started and is now leading efforts to end. An American official told AFP late last week that Trump had decided to pull out "roughly half" of the 14,000 US forces in the country, but the White House has so far not confirmed the widely-publicised move. "I have no orders, so nothing has changed," said Miller, who is also the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, during a meeting with the governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Tolo News. The remarks were confirmed by NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul. "But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you to know that we are still with the security forces. Even if I have to get a little bit smaller, we will be okay," Miller continued. US troops make up the bulk of the Resolute Support mission to train and advise local forces fighting the Taliban and the Islamic State group. Others are part of a US-led counter-terrorism mission. While there has been no official announcement of a US drawdown, the mere suggestion of the United States reducing its military presence has rattled the Afghan capital. Trump's decision apparently came Tuesday as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militants to the negotiating table with Kabul. The Taliban has not issued a formal statement on Trump's plan, but a senior commander told AFP the group was "more than happy". There are fears the hasty move could undermine Khalilzad's negotiating position, embolden the Taliban, and further erode morale among Afghan forces, which are suffering record losses. Many Afghans are worried that President Ashraf Ghani's fragile unity government would collapse if US troops pulled out, enabling the Taliban to return to power and potentially sparking another bloody civil war. A day after Miller's remarks, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived in Kabul for the start of a four-nation tour to discuss, among other things, peace efforts in Afghanistan. Qureshi, who had hailed Trump's decision to slash troop numbers in Afghanistan as "a step forward" in the peace effort, will also visit Iran, China and Russia.

No orders to pull out: Top US commander in Afghanistan

A US army general was among those injured in a Taliban attack on top US and Afghan security chiefs inside a highly secure compound last week in Kandahar province, a military spokesman confirmed.

US Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley, in charge of NATO's military advisory mission in Afghanistan, suffered at least one gunshot wound in Thursday's attack, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

A gunman wearing an Afghan security forces uniform opened fire on a group including General Scott Miller -- the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan -- and powerful Afghan police chief General Abdul Raziq as they ended a meeting in the southern city of Kandahar.

Raziq, an anti-Taliban strongman and key US ally who was credited with keeping a lid on the insurgency in the south, was killed along with Kandahar's provincial intelligence chief and an Afghan journalist.&nbsp;

Colonel David Butler, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, initially confirmed on Twitter that three unidentified people were injured: one US service member, one US civilian and a coalition contractor.&nbsp;

Later, in tweets discussing US media reports that named Smiley, he confirmed he was wounded.

That the Taliban could mount a deadly insider assault in such a secure location rattled Afghanistan, a country long used to high-profile targeted killings and violence.

It was also an unusual incident for the US military, whose generals seldom face attack and are rarely wounded.

A US army general was among those injured in a Taliban attack on top US and Afghan security chiefs inside a highly secure compound last week in Kandahar province, a military spokesman confirmed.

A US army general was among those injured in a Taliban attack on top US and Afghan security chiefs inside a highly secure compound last week in Kandahar province, a military spokesman confirmed. US Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley, in charge of NATO's military advisory mission in Afghanistan, suffered at least one gunshot wound in Thursday's attack, the Washington Post reported Sunday. A gunman wearing an Afghan security forces uniform opened fire on a group including General Scott Miller -- the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan -- and powerful Afghan police chief General Abdul Raziq as they ended a meeting in the southern city of Kandahar. Raziq, an anti-Taliban strongman and key US ally who was credited with keeping a lid on the insurgency in the south, was killed along with Kandahar's provincial intelligence chief and an Afghan journalist. Colonel David Butler, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, initially confirmed on Twitter that three unidentified people were injured: one US service member, one US civilian and a coalition contractor. Later, in tweets discussing US media reports that named Smiley, he confirmed he was wounded. That the Taliban could mount a deadly insider assault in such a secure location rattled Afghanistan, a country long used to high-profile targeted killings and violence. It was also an unusual incident for the US military, whose generals seldom face attack and are rarely wounded.

US Army general wounded in Afghanistan attack

The brother of the powerful police commander of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar assassinated last week was named as his successor on Monday in move that underlines the pressures facing President Ashraf Ghani's government.

General Abdul Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most feared anti-Taliban commanders, was shot dead when a member of the provincial governor's bodyguard opened fire on officials leaving a meeting with NATO forces commander General Scott Miller.

Razeq, nominally the Kandahar police chief, was one of the most powerful figures in the whole of southern Afghanistan.

He had a range of business interests and was accused of extracting millions of dollars from the border crossing into Pakistan at Spin Boldak, his home region and power base.

A member of the powerful Pashtun Achakzai tribe and a skilful operator in the region's complex tribal politics, he regularly clashed with Ghani's government in Kabul but enjoyed wide support and was impossible to remove.

The nomination of Razeq's younger brother Tadeen Khan as acting police chief of Kandahar followed heavy pressure from powerful tribal elders who forced the government to overlook his lack of experience and training.

Ghani's government initially rejected the demand on the grounds that Khan lacked qualifications, a senior Afghan official said, but gave way after the Achakzais threatened to boycott parliamentary elections.

"Ghani knows he will need the support of many tribes to retain power, so he has to listen to them and accept their demands," said Abdul Rashid Khan a political science professor at Kabul University.

Parliamentary elections, a dry run for the more important presidential election next year, will be held in Kandahar on Saturday after they were postponed for a week following Razeq's death in an insider attack at the provincial governor's office.

His death left a power vacuum in Kandahar, one of the most strategically important provinces in Afghanistan, on the southeastern border with Pakistan.

"It would require a lot of consultations and appeasement to convince general Razeq's supporters and his tribe to approve someone else as the police chief," said a senior government official as he explained the reason behind Khan's appointment.

The brother of the powerful police commander of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar assassinated last week was named as his successor on Monday in move that underlines the pressures facing President Ashraf Ghani's government.

The brother of the powerful police commander of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar assassinated last week was named as his successor on Monday in move that underlines the pressures facing President Ashraf Ghani's government. General Abdul Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most feared anti-Taliban commanders, was shot dead when a member of the provincial governor's bodyguard opened fire on officials leaving a meeting with NATO forces commander General Scott Miller. Razeq, nominally the Kandahar police chief, was one of the most powerful figures in the whole of southern Afghanistan. He had a range of business interests and was accused of extracting millions of dollars from the border crossing into Pakistan at Spin Boldak, his home region and power base. A member of the powerful Pashtun Achakzai tribe and a skilful operator in the region's complex tribal politics, he regularly clashed with Ghani's government in Kabul but enjoyed wide support and was impossible to remove. The nomination of Razeq's younger brother Tadeen Khan as acting police chief of Kandahar followed heavy pressure from powerful tribal elders who forced the government to overlook his lack of experience and training. Ghani's government initially rejected the demand on the grounds that Khan lacked qualifications, a senior Afghan official said, but gave way after the Achakzais threatened to boycott parliamentary elections. "Ghani knows he will need the support of many tribes to retain power, so he has to listen to them and accept their demands," said Abdul Rashid Khan a political science professor at Kabul University. Parliamentary elections, a dry run for the more important presidential election next year, will be held in Kandahar on Saturday after they were postponed for a week following Razeq's death in an insider attack at the provincial governor's office. His death left a power vacuum in Kandahar, one of the most strategically important provinces in Afghanistan, on the southeastern border with Pakistan. "It would require a lot of consultations and appeasement to convince general Razeq's supporters and his tribe to approve someone else as the police chief," said a senior government official as he explained the reason behind Khan's appointment.

Brother of assassinated Afghan police commander appointed to succeed him

The top US&nbsp;commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller escaped unhurt after a burst of gunfire in the governor's compound in Kandahar province on Thursday but the powerful police chief General Abdul Razeq was killed, officials said.

A senior security official said the governor's bodyguard opened fire and hit Razeq in the back as soon as officials came out of the meeting. The governor and the local head of the NDS intelligence service were wounded.

Several Afghan and international security officials said Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most powerful commanders with a fearsome reputation as an enemy of the Taliban, had been killed.

Miller, who had been attending a meeting with security officials ahead of parliamentary elections on Saturday, was not injured but two Americans were wounded in the crossfire and had been evacuated, NATO spokesman Colonel Knut Peters said.

"Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests to the plane when the gunshots happened," said Said Jan Khakrezwal, the head of the provincial council.

The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller escaped unhurt after a burst of gunfire in the governor's compound in Kandahar province on Thursday but the powerful police chief General Abdul Razeq was killed, officials said.

The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller escaped unhurt after a burst of gunfire in the governor's compound in Kandahar province on Thursday but the powerful police chief General Abdul Razeq was killed, officials said. A senior security official said the governor's bodyguard opened fire and hit Razeq in the back as soon as officials came out of the meeting. The governor and the local head of the NDS intelligence service were wounded. Several Afghan and international security officials said Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most powerful commanders with a fearsome reputation as an enemy of the Taliban, had been killed. Miller, who had been attending a meeting with security officials ahead of parliamentary elections on Saturday, was not injured but two Americans were wounded in the crossfire and had been evacuated, NATO spokesman Colonel Knut Peters said. "Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests to the plane when the gunshots happened," said Said Jan Khakrezwal, the head of the provincial council.

Afghanistan: Kandahar police chief killed in shooting, top US general escapes unhurt

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Taliban talks resume amid hopes of deal: Report

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US Army general wounded in Afghanistan attack

Brother of assassinated Afghan police commander appointed to succeed him

Afghanistan: Kandahar police chief killed in shooting, top US general escapes unhurt