Doha talks on Afghanistan end with call for accelerated peace process

Envoys from the United States, China and other states have called for an accelerated peace process for Afghanistan as a "matter of great urgency" and for an immediate halt to attacks on provincial capitals and cities in Afghanistan.

A statement issued on Thursday following talks in Qatar, where envoys met with Afghan government negotiators and Taliban representatives, also reaffirmed that foreign capitals would not recognise any government in Afghanistan "imposed through the use of military force".

The Doha meetings, aimed at breaking a deadlock in peace talks, came as Taliban militants pressed offensives across Afghanistan and as US intelligence said the insurgents could take the capital Kabul within 90 days.

READ MORE: US intel warns Taliban could capture Kabul within 90 days

With the last of the US-led international forces set to leave by the end of this month, the Taliban has taken control of about two-thirds of the country.

The statement called for a halt to violence and attacks immediately in and against provincial capitals and other cities, and urged both sides to take steps to reach a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible.

Participants in the Doha talks, which also included Pakistan, the United Nations and the European Union, committed to reconstruction assistance once a "viable" political settlement is reached, the statement added.

READ MORE: Taliban takes Kandahar, Herat in major Afghanistan offensive

UK to send 600 troops to help nationals leave

Britain said on Thursday that it will send around 600 troops to Afghanistan to help UK nationals leave the country amid growing concerns about the security situation following the rapid advance of the Taliban.

In a statement, the defence ministry said the troops will provide protection and logistical support for the relocation of British nationals where required. Around 4,000 British nationals are believed to be in Afghanistan.

The ministry said troops will also help speed up efforts to swiftly relocate interpreters and other Afghan staff who worked alongside UK forces in Afghanistan.

READ MORE: Ghani replaces Afghan military chief mid-Taliban blitz on major cities

The additional forces are expected to arrive in Kabul “over the coming days” and will be deployed on a short-term basis, the ministry statement said. The number of staff at the British Embassy in Kabul has been cut to a core team focused on providing consular and visa services for those needing to rapidly leave the country.

“The security of British nationals, British military personnel and former Afghan staff is our first priority,” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. “We must do everything we can to ensure their safety.”

US sending 3K troops for partial Afghan embassy evacuation

The US also said on Thursday that it is sending an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to assist in the evacuation of some personnel from the US Embassy in Kabul.

Troops from the US and the UK are leaving Afghanistan, having first arrived in the country 20 years ago following the 9/11 attacks.

News of the fresh short-term deployments follow the rapid advance of Taliban forces in recent days.

General Sir Nick Carter, the head of the British armed forces, warned that a dangerous “security vacuum” risks opening up in Afghanistan, potentially enabling international terrorism to take a grip once again.

He said the country faces a “humanitarian tragedy.”

“If we end up with a scenario where the state fractures, and you end up essentially with a security vacuum, then there are absolutely ideal conditions for international terrorism and extremism to prosper yet again,” he told the BBC.

READ MORE: Why is the Taliban looking unstoppable in Afghanistan?