As part of the US-Taliban peace agreement, US has pulled out troops from the 5 bases in Afghanistan. According to the deal, the US had 135 days to fulfill its pledge to reduce troops to 8,600 from nearly 14,000 in the conflict-hit country

WION Dispatch: Taliban peace deal: US withdraws army troops out of 5 Afghan bases

The Afghan government and Taliban on Sunday held their first talks regarding the release of prisoners, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said.&nbsp;

"Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing," Zalmay Khalilzad said on Twitter.

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Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing.
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The development comes after the prevailing deadlock between Afghan administration and the militant group following the historic Doha deal, which made way for the exit of US troops from the region.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/release-of-taliban-prisoners-stalls-over-guarantees-286486">Release of Taliban prisoners stalls over guarantees</a>

As per the deal, Taliban committed to reducing violence and continue fighting against terrorist groups like Al Qaeda.

On &nbsp;Wednesday, Khalilzad said it is “urgent” to finalise plans on prisoners exchange as the coronavirus pandemic is creating diplomatic challenges.&nbsp;

The agreement signed on February 29 in Doha intended to end America’s longest war that began after the Sept 11 terror attacks in 2001. &nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-begins-troops-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-10-days-after-taliban-deal-285385">US begins troops withdrawal from Afghanistan 10 days after Taliban deal</a>

The deal mentions the release of up to 5,000 Taliban militants held by Kabul and up to 1,000 people of the Afghan government forces captured by the insurgent group.&nbsp;

This move was supposed to start before the inter-Afghan peace negotiations, originally scheduled for March 10.&nbsp;

However, Kabul, which was not part of the deal signed by US and Taliban, refused this offer initially, before finally agreeing upon gradual and conditional prisoner releases.&nbsp;

The Doha deal calls for the gradual pullout of American and other foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan over a 14-month period, the first phase of which has already started.&nbsp;

The Afghan government and Taliban on Sunday held their first talks regarding the release of prisoners, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said. "Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing," Zalmay Khalilzad said on Twitter.

The Afghan government and Taliban on Sunday held their first talks regarding the release of prisoners, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said. "Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing," Zalmay Khalilzad said on Twitter. Today, the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing. — U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) March 22, 2020 × The development comes after the prevailing deadlock between Afghan administration and the militant group following the historic Doha deal, which made way for the exit of US troops from the region. Also read | Release of Taliban prisoners stalls over guarantees As per the deal, Taliban committed to reducing violence and continue fighting against terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. On Wednesday, Khalilzad said it is “urgent” to finalise plans on prisoners exchange as the coronavirus pandemic is creating diplomatic challenges. The agreement signed on February 29 in Doha intended to end America’s longest war that began after the Sept 11 terror attacks in 2001. Also read | US begins troops withdrawal from Afghanistan 10 days after Taliban deal The deal mentions the release of up to 5,000 Taliban militants held by Kabul and up to 1,000 people of the Afghan government forces captured by the insurgent group. This move was supposed to start before the inter-Afghan peace negotiations, originally scheduled for March 10. However, Kabul, which was not part of the deal signed by US and Taliban, refused this offer initially, before finally agreeing upon gradual and conditional prisoner releases. The Doha deal calls for the gradual pullout of American and other foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan over a 14-month period, the first phase of which has already started.

Afghan, Taliban held first talks regarding prisoner release: US envoy

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Afghan capital Monday amid an ongoing political crisis, a raging Taliban insurgency and rising coronavirus cases -- all of which further threaten an already-floundering peace process.

Pompeo was set to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani along with his archrival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claims the presidency, following a contested election last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-taliban-held-first-talks-regarding-prisoner-release-us-envoy-287966">Afghan, Taliban held first talks regarding prisoner release: US envoy</a>

According to a pool report from a journalist accompanying Pompeo, the top US diplomat was welcomed by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad -- the lead US negotiator in recent talks with the Taliban -- after arriving at Kabul airport.

The visit comes just a day after the Afghan government and the Taliban held their first discussion on arranging prisoner exchanges -- a key step in a broader push for peace following a withdrawal deal signed between Washington and the militants last month.

The agreement established a framework for bringing to an end America's longest war following the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Khalilzad tweeted Sunday it was "urgent" to quickly conclude plans for the prisoner swap -- as called for in the US pact with the Taliban -- with the coronavirus pandemic complicating diplomatic contacts.

The deal called for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban fighters held by Kabul, and up to 1,000 members of the Afghan government forces in insurgent hands.

That was meant to take place before the start of peace talks originally set for March 10 between the government -- which was not a party to the negotiations that produced the Doha deal -- and the Taliban.

After initially refusing to release the Taliban prisoners, Ghani announced that the authorities would free 1,500 insurgents as a "gesture of goodwill" with plans to free another 3,500 prisoners after the talks are underway.&nbsp;

The Taliban rejected the offer.

The Doha accord also calls for the gradual withdrawal of American and other foreign troops over a 14-month period -- the main focus of the US diplomatic efforts.

The first phase of that withdrawal has already begun, though some troop movements have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic.

In exchange, the Taliban committed to fight jihadist groups like Al-Qaeda and promised to negotiate for the first time with Kabul.&nbsp;

But since the Doha agreement was signed, the Taliban have carried out scores of attacks.

Political chaos in Kabul has further complicated matters, with Ghani's former chief executive Abdullah also claiming the presidency following last September's bitterly disputed election.

The impasse and continued fighting along with the world's preoccupation with coronavirus has sparked fears the window for a peace deal is closing fast.

Afghan health officials have reported just 40 cases of the novel coronavirus and one death to date.&nbsp;

However, health experts fear the contagion is spreading as tens of thousands of Afghans have returned home in recent weeks after fleeing virus-hit Iran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Afghan capital Monday amid an ongoing political crisis, a raging Taliban insurgency and rising coronavirus cases -- all of which further threaten an already-floundering peace process.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Afghan capital Monday amid an ongoing political crisis, a raging Taliban insurgency and rising coronavirus cases -- all of which further threaten an already-floundering peace process. Pompeo was set to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani along with his archrival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claims the presidency, following a contested election last year. Also read | Afghan, Taliban held first talks regarding prisoner release: US envoy According to a pool report from a journalist accompanying Pompeo, the top US diplomat was welcomed by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad -- the lead US negotiator in recent talks with the Taliban -- after arriving at Kabul airport. The visit comes just a day after the Afghan government and the Taliban held their first discussion on arranging prisoner exchanges -- a key step in a broader push for peace following a withdrawal deal signed between Washington and the militants last month. The agreement established a framework for bringing to an end America's longest war following the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Khalilzad tweeted Sunday it was "urgent" to quickly conclude plans for the prisoner swap -- as called for in the US pact with the Taliban -- with the coronavirus pandemic complicating diplomatic contacts. The deal called for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban fighters held by Kabul, and up to 1,000 members of the Afghan government forces in insurgent hands. That was meant to take place before the start of peace talks originally set for March 10 between the government -- which was not a party to the negotiations that produced the Doha deal -- and the Taliban. After initially refusing to release the Taliban prisoners, Ghani announced that the authorities would free 1,500 insurgents as a "gesture of goodwill" with plans to free another 3,500 prisoners after the talks are underway. The Taliban rejected the offer. The Doha accord also calls for the gradual withdrawal of American and other foreign troops over a 14-month period -- the main focus of the US diplomatic efforts. The first phase of that withdrawal has already begun, though some troop movements have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. In exchange, the Taliban committed to fight jihadist groups like Al-Qaeda and promised to negotiate for the first time with Kabul. But since the Doha agreement was signed, the Taliban have carried out scores of attacks. Political chaos in Kabul has further complicated matters, with Ghani's former chief executive Abdullah also claiming the presidency following last September's bitterly disputed election. The impasse and continued fighting along with the world's preoccupation with coronavirus has sparked fears the window for a peace deal is closing fast. Afghan health officials have reported just 40 cases of the novel coronavirus and one death to date. However, health experts fear the contagion is spreading as tens of thousands of Afghans have returned home in recent weeks after fleeing virus-hit Iran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Kabul amid multiple crisis