Taliban agrees to stop fighting during Eid

The Taliban announced its first ceasefire in Afghanistan since the 2001 US invasion yesterday, with a threeday halt in hostilities against the country's security forces that was greeted with relief by war-weary Afghans. But the group warned the suspension of fighting for the firs

Editorial Team Legacy

Published 10 June 2018, 8:00 · Updated 22:13

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Taliban agrees to stop fighting during Eid

The Taliban announced its first ceasefire in Afghanistan since the 2001 US invasion yesterday, with a threeday halt in hostilities against the country’s security forces that was greeted with relief by war-weary Afghans.

But the group warned the suspension of fighting for the first three days of Eid, the holiday that caps off Ramadan, did not extend to “foreign occupiers”, who would continue to be targeted by the militants.

The unexpected move came two days after the Afghan government’s own surprise announcement of a week-long halt to operations against the Taliban. It is the first time in nearly 17 years of conflict that the militants have declared a ceasefire, albeit a limited one.

Hours before Saturday’s announcement, Taliban militants launched two separate assaults on Afghan security forces in the western province of Herat and the northern province of Kunduz, killing at least 36 soldiers and police, officials said. Even a brief cessation of hostilities would bring welcome relief to civilians in the war-torn country.

Taliban agrees to stop fighting during Eid

Editorial Team Legacy

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