Kabul and Taliban declare truce for Eid

On June 15, the Islamic holiday will end Ramadan. Two days ago, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declared a unilateral ceasefire until the 20th. A few hours after the truce was announced, the Taliban launched a series of coordinated attacks.

Kabul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - For the first time since the US invasion of 2001, the Taliban have announced a military truce. The ceasefire with the Government Forces will last three days and coincide with the Islamic holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, which will end Ramadan on June 15th.

The militants announced this morning the interruption of all offensive operations. The suspension will not affect the defensive ones and the actions against foreign forces operating in the country.

Two days ago, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban. The government's move followed the gathering of thousands of Islamic religious in Kabul, marked by an attack that caused 14 victims.

The religious have issued a fatwa, or edict, against suicide attacks and suggested that the government stop operations against the Taliban. Ghani welcomed the council and announced a truce until June 20 next. The Islamic State (IS) fighters of the are excluded from the provision.

The US State Department says its Forces and coalition partners in Afghanistan "will honor the ceasefire". The foreign contingent in the country has dropped to about 15 thousand units, from 140 thousand in 2014.

A few hours after the truce was announced, the Taliban launched a series of coordinated attacks against some government outposts of the Qala-e-Zal district (Kunduz province). At least 20 soldiers died in operations.

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• government
• Taliban
• ceasefire
• truce
• eid
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