U.S. negotiators are taking a "brief pause" from talks with the Taliban after the militants launched a suicide attack on a U.S. base outside Kabul killing two civilians, Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday.
Khalilzad had renewed talks with the Taliban earlier this month on steps that could lead to a ceasefire and a settlement of the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan.
"I met Talibs today, I expressed outrage about the attack on Bagram," Khalilzad wrote on Twitter, referring to the attack on Bagram airbase on Wednesday which killed two people and injured more than 70 others.
"We're taking a brief pause for them to consult their leadership on this essential topic," he added.