The Taliban said on Saturday they will not work with the U.S. to contain extremism in Afghanistan.
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press the group will independently deal with extremist groups such as the Islamic State.
“We are able to tackle Daesh independently,” Shaheen said, using an Arabic acronym for the group.
The position comes ahead of talks between senior Taliban officials and U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar.
These are the first direct talks the two groups will have since the U.S. evacuated Afghanistan in August, with the U.S. saying the talks are not a sign the Taliban will be recognized by the U.S, according to the AP.
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