US President Donald Trump said on 31 January that US troops would withdraw from Afghanistan after 17 years of military operations there if a peace deal is reached with the Taliban. His statement comes in wake of an announcement by US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who said that the US and the militants had reached a framework deal on ending the conflict in Afghanistan.
The deal will include the full withdrawal of foreign troops within 18 months, with the Taliban reportedly providing guarantees that the country will not be used as a base for the al-Qaeda* or Daesh* terrorist groups. The deal has still not been signed and its other details remain unclear.
At the same time, the militants have not reached a deal with Kabul, as the latter is urging the Taliban to participate in peace talks, promising to reduce the foreign military presence "to zero".