Taliban, Afghan officials in ceasefire talks: US general

WASHINGTON: Taliban officials have been secretly negotiating with Afghan officials on a possible ceasefire, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, even as US forces killed over 50 Taliban leaders in a series of strikes. “A lot of the diplomatic activity and dialogue is occurring off the stage, and it’s occurring at multiple levels,” Gen John Nicholson said. He would not identify the figures involved in the negotiations, except to say that they included mid- and senior-level Taliban officials.