Kabul, October 20: According to the officials, Taliban leaders have crossed the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and boarded a NATO aircraft bound for the Afghan capital city, Kabul.
NATO troops have reportedly secured roads to allow Taliban leaders to reach Afghan and NATO-controlled areas.
The report also says many top Taliban leaders that reside in Pakistan enjoy official protection.
Afghanistan recently set up a new peace council to negotiate with the Taliban militants to help end the war in Afghanistan.
Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General David Petraeus confirmed on Friday that Taliban representatives had been given safe passage by the coalition forces.
“There have been several very senior Taliban leaders who have reached out to the Afghan government at the highest levels, and also in some cases have reached out to other countries involved in Afghanistan,” Petraeus told reporters at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
Earlier, US officials said that coalition forces had “facilitated” contacts between the militants and the Kabul government.
Meanwhile, amid the reports of peace talks with the Taliban, the United States said last week that it is ready to remove more Taliban militants from a UN sanctions list. Washington said it can support an adjustment to the list to facilitate the Afghan government peace talks with the Taliban.
US, Afghan and Taliban sources all declined to give details of the secret “peace talks.”
The Taliban have so far denied any involvement in talks with Kabul. The militants insist that there will be no talks with the Karzai government until all foreign troops leave the war-torn country.
The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 with the aim of toppling the Taliban regime and dismantling al-Qaeda network. After nine years, foreign forces have failed to bring security to Afghanistan and contain militancy.
——–Agencies