Taliban and US negotiators have wrapped up their latest round of talks for a deal that would see America shrink its troop presence in Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman said Monday.

According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the eighth round of talks, which had been taking place in Doha, finished after midnight.

“Work was tedious & effective. Both sides agreed to consult their respective leaderships for next steps,” he wrote on Twitter.

There was no immediate comment from the US embassy in Kabul.

On Sunday, US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted: “I hope this is the last Eid where Afghanistan is at war,” referring to the Eid al-Adha festival currently taking place in the Muslim world.

Speculation has reached fever pitch in Kabul in recent days that an announcement about a US-Taliban deal may be imminent.

The US has been negotiating with its longtime foe over the past year for a pact that would see the Pentagon begin to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan.

Source: AFP