Taliban-Afghan talks have begun in Moscow. Country’s former president Hamid Karzai and Taliban leadership are attending the talks.

The talks come 10 days after peace negotiations between the United States and the Taliban in Qatar ended with signs of progress towards the withdrawal of thousands of foreign troops from Afghanistan and an end to more than 17 years of war.

The push for peace comes as the Taliban, have staged near daily attacks and are in control of or contesting districts across nearly half the country.