The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan said on Thursday he had struck an agreement with the insurgent Taliban to “re-set” their commitments under a troop withdrawal deal and reduce the number of casualties in the country, which has seen heavy fighting in southern Helmand province. This week, the Taliban launched a major offensive in Helmand, attempting to take the provincial capital and ensuing fighting had displaced thousands of civilians. U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said on Twitter that he and General Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, had held several meetings with the Taliban.
