US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday spoke on the telephone with High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah and he reiterated the US’s commitment to a just and durable political settlement that ends the war in Afghanistan.

“They discussed ways to accelerate peace negotiations and achieve a political settlement that is inclusive, respects the rights of all Afghans, including women and minorities, allows the Afghan people to have a say in choosing their leaders, and prevents Afghan soil from being used to threaten the United States and its allies and partners,” the US Department of State said in a statement.

“Both leaders deplored continuing Taliban attacks, loss of innocent Afghan lives and displacement of the civilian population, and underscored the widespread international condemnation of these attacks. Secretary Blinken and Chairman Abdullah pledged to remain in close contact going forward,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah on twitter thanked Blinken for his continued support.

“We agreed that only through an accelerated peace process can we attain an inclusive, just and durable political settlement that will assure security and stability. We also stressed on protecting the core rights and hard-earned gains of all Afghans - men and women. I thanked the American government and people for their continued support and commitment to a peaceful end to war in Afghanistan,” said Abdullah.

This comes as the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) are fighting the Taliban in various areas around the country including Lashkargah, the center of Helmand province in the south, and in Herat in the west.

According to reports, at least seven attacks by the Taliban on the city of Herat were pushed back by the security forces on Wednesday night.