DOHA (WION) — The United States has today signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants aimed at paving the way for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.

Under the agreement, the US will begin withdrawing thousands of troops in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being a launch pad for terrorist attacks. If the Taliban meet their commitments, all US troops would leave in 14 months.

American soldiers have been in the country fighting against the Taliban for the last 18 years. India has also been invited by the Qatar government to the peace deal ceremony.

However, the position of the Afghan government, which has been excluded from direct US-Taliban talks, remains unclear. The country is also currently gripped by a fresh political crisis amid contested election results.