The United States would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks as part of a deal “in principle” with Taliban militants, Washington’s top negotiator has said.
Zalmay Khalilzad revealed details of the long-awaited deal for the first time in a TV interview after briefing Afghan leaders on the agreement.
But he said final approval still rested with US President Donald Trump.
A huge blast rocked Kabul as the interview aired.
The Taliban said it was behind the attack, which used a bomb strapped to a tractor to kill at least 16 people and injure at least another 119.
The target was a residential compound housing foreigners, just outside the city’s heavily-fortified Green Zone.
However, it was Afghan civilians who paid the highest price. By morning, about 400 foreigners had been escorted out of the area as anger bubbled over onto the streets. Locals set fire to tyres and blocked a main road, demanding foreigners leave the area for good.
“This is not the first time we suffer because of them,” resident Abdul Jamil told news agency AFP. “We don’t want them here any more.”
