Afghan Taliban announce three-day Eid ceasefire

The Taliban and Afghanistan’s president introduced late Saturday a three-day cease-fire forward of a serious Islamic vacation that begins Sunday to mark the tip of the Islamic fasting month of Ramzan.

The Taliban order, which was quickly adopted by an announcement through Twitter from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani saying the federal government “extends the offer of peace,” comes simply days after US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was in Kabul and Doha.

Khalilzad on his journey urged each the Taliban and the Afghan authorities to cut back violence and transfer forward with intra-Afghan negotiations, a key pillar of a US peace cope with the Taliban signed in February to permit American troops to go away Afghanistan. The deal was additionally touted on the time as Afghanistan’s finest likelihood for peace after almost 4 many years of struggle.

The Taliban’s cease-fire announcement follows an Eid al-Fitr message from the Taliban chief which stated the rebel group was dedicated to the peace deal, was not looking for to monopolize energy and promised to ensure the rights of ladies and men underneath an Islamic system.

The directive ordered Taliban fighters to not struggle but in addition to not fraternize with Afghan nationwide safety forces. The directions appeared supposed to keep away from pictures that circulated over the past cease-fire in 2018, additionally throughout Eid celebrations, together with Taliban fighters sharing ice cream and laughing with Afghan nationwide safety power troopers.

In directions issued Saturday, Taliban fighters have been informed “not to attack the enemy in any place but if there is attack from enemy in any place then a befitting defensive response shall be given.” The order additionally warned Taliban fighters in opposition to getting into “enemy” territory.

Since signing the peace cope with the United States, the Taliban haven’t attacked US and NATO troops however have staged quite a few assaults in opposition to Afghan National Security forces.

The peace deal requires the total withdrawal of US and NATO troops by the tip of subsequent yr however provided that the Taliban honour their dedication to struggle in opposition to terrorist teams and assure that Afghanistan can’t be used as a staging floor of assaults in opposition to the United States and its allies. The settlement additionally requires talks between Taliban and the often-bickering political management in Kabul to determine the way forward for a post-war Afghanistan. It additionally requires the discharge of prisoners by each the federal government and Taliban as a very good will gesture forward of the talks.

An enhance in assaults claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, together with a horrific assault on a maternity hospital within the Afghan capital final week, blamed on the IS affiliate, has given an urgency to discovering a settlement between the federal government and Taliban. US Department of Defense officers talking on situation of anonymity as a result of they don’t seem to be approved to talk to the media, stated the Taliban is seen as an asset within the struggle in opposition to IS in Afghanistan.

The US army in Afghanistan welcomed the cease-fire announcement saying “we reiterate our call for the militaries of all sides to reduce violence to allow the peace process to take hold.” (AP) SMN SMN