Afghan politicians, Taliban meet in Doha as fighting continues

FILE PHOTO: Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan politicians met with representatives of the Taliban insurgents in Qatar on Saturday with each side calling for peace even as fighting escalates and uproots thousands of people.

Two decades of conflict have taken a turn for the worse as U.S.-led international forces withdraw and the Taliban launch offensives around Afghanistan, taking districts and border crossings while encircling provincial capitals.