Taliban, Afghan officials to hold 2 days of talks

DOHA, Qatar — Afghan and Taliban officials will hold two days of “reconciliation” talks in Qatar, the Gulf nation’s state news agency reported Saturday, but both sides sought to downplay expectations.

The official Qatar News Agency did not identify the officials taking part in the talks, which it said began Saturday, citing Foreign Ministry official Yousif al-Sada.

“The dialogue will be through open discussions about the Afghan reconciliation between all parties in Afghanistan,” the agency said.