The Afghan army has suffered mounting casualties pic: EPA[/caption]
The Taliban have held secret meetings with Afghan officials to discuss a ceasefire, according to the US military.
The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said the talks also involved foreign governments and international organisations. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani proposed negotiations in February, an offer the Taliban did not respond to at the time. Since then violence has continued with mounting casualties on both sides. On Wednesday, the militants launched an attack on the interior ministry in Kabul, demonstrating their ability to carry out strikes in the capital. The insurgents also claimed responsibility for another attack on a police station, in the capital of Logar province.


Who are the Taliban?
The hardline Islamic Taliban movement swept to power in Afghanistan in 1996 after the civil war that followed the Soviet-Afghan war, and were ousted by the US-led invasion five years later. In power, they imposed a brutal version of Sharia law, such as public executions and amputations, and banned women from public life.