NEW DELHI: A US delegation will meet with senior Taliban representatives in Doha on Saturday and Sunday in their first face-to-face meeting at a senior level since Washington pulled its troops from Afghanistan and the hardline group took over the country.

Although the US has stayed in regular contact with Taliban since the terrorist organisation took control of Afghanistan, this will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two groups

The high-level US delegation will include officials from the State Department, USAID and the US intelligence community, will press the Taliban to ensure continued safe passage for US citizens and others out of Afghanistan and to release kidnapped US citizen Mark Frerichs, the officials said.

The United States has directly facilitated the departure of 105 US citizens and 95 lawful permanent residents out of Afghanistan since Aug. 31, when US withdrawal was completed, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

He declined to provide a precise figure for those remaining, but said the agency was in contact with "dozens of Americans in Afghanistan who wish to leave" but that the number was dynamic and constantly changing.

Another top priority will be to hold the Taliban to its commitment that it will not allow Afghanistan to again become a hotbed for al Qaeda or other extremists while pressing the group to improve access for humanitarian aid as the country faces the prospect of a "really severe and probably impossible to prevent" economic contraction, US officials said.

The US team will include the State Department's Deputy Special Representative Tom West as well as top USAID humanitarian official Sarah Charles. On The Taliban side, cabinet officials will be attending, officials said.

US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, who has for years spearheaded US dialogue with the Taliban and been a key figure in peace talks with the group, will not be part of the delegation.

This news has come a little after at least 55 people were killed in Afghanistan's Kunduz mosque blast in an attack claimed by Taliban's opposing terrorist groups ISIS-K.