Khalilzad awaits Taliban's decision on ceasefire.

Islamabad: US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been pushing the Taliban to agree to a brief ceasefire that could pave the way for signing of the peace agreement to end the war in Afghanistan.

But the Taliban killed two American soldiers on Saturday that indicates they are presently in no mood to halt attacks.

The US-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan says the roadside bomb attack also injured two American servicemen in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. On their part, the Taliban said the improvised explosive device "shred an American armoured personnel carrier to pieces" near the Kandahar airbase, one of the most highly secured areas.

Khalilzad paused the negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar last month after the Taliban attacked the Bagram airfield north of Kabul that killed at least two people and injured nearly 70 others. The Taliban had defended the Bagram attack and said their attacks were in reaction to operations by the American troops when they join the Afghan forces against the Taliban.

Two Taliban officials told Daily Times that the formal talks have not been restarted as Khalilzad has not yet received a formal response if they agree to a brief ceasefire or an understanding on reduction of violence. However, the US envoy met Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Qatar this month.

Taliban leaders have held consultations on Khalilzad's proposals and have sent recommendations to their supreme commander Sheikh Haibatullah, according to a Taliban privy to the internal discussions. But the supreme commander has not made a final decision.

The Taliban say the Trump administration and the American policy makers in Washington need to understand that Afghanistan has become their second Vietnam and even worse but not only militarily but financially as well.

"The days of the American intervention in other countries will be over if the invasion of Afghanistan prolongs because it will drain the American power further like it has done in the past 18 years. If the American forces do not leave Afghanistan, they will face the same resistance and ferocious attacks by the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate no matter how many more decades it takes," a Taliban commentary said. The commentary "The presence of American forces is the root cause of...