BBC News with Marion Marshall

The BBC has been told that the Afghan government plans to meet Taliban officials in Saudi Arabia in the next few weeks. If they go ahead, the talks - the first of their kind - would be a major milestone in efforts to find a negotiated solution to the Afghan conflict. There's been no word from the Taliban. From Kabul, Quentin Sommerville.

The landmark meeting between the Afghan government and the Taliban is expected to take place in the coming weeks in Saudi Arabia.

American-led peace efforts will soon see the establishment of a Taliban political office in the Gulf state of Qatar. In the past, negotiators have had trouble establishing the authenticity of Taliban representatives. However, a delegation of senior Taliban leaders is now in Doha and have already met US officials.