Taliban ruling council agrees to ceasefire in Afghanistan

The Taliban's ruling council agreed Sunday to a brief ceasefire in Afghanistan, potentially leading to a peace deal with the United States.

The council has not yet decided when the ceasefire will start, officials from the militant group told The Associated Press, but it is expected to last for 10 days. The U.S. has said the only way it will reach a peace agreement with the Taliban is if there is a ceasefire. Under a peace deal, the U.S. would agree to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, AP reports; there are now about 12,000 troops in the country.

After the U.S. and Taliban reach an agreement, talks would then start between the Taliban and the Afghan government, with both sides mapping out the future of the country. The ceasefire must still be approved by the Taliban chief.

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