3 Day Ceasefire begins Ahead of Possible Afghan Government, Taliban Talks

KABUL, July 31 (Online Int’l): A three-day Eid ceasefire between Taliban and Afghan government forces began on Friday with hopes it may lead to possible peace talks between the two.

A car bomb that killed at least 17 people in the country’s east just hours before the truce came into effect underlined the scale of the challenge that lies ahead, although the Taliban denied any involvement. The halt in fighting is slated to last for the duration of Eid-ul-Adha and is only the third official truce in nearly 19 years of war.

“We want a permanent ceasefire from the Taliban as they are the ones who paved the way for other terrorist groups to operate in Afghanistan”, Mohammad Tahir, a taxi driver, told AFP after offering Eid prayers at a Kabul mosque.

As the ceasefire commenced, hundreds of worshippers went to mosques across the capital where they were patted down by armed guards before offering prayers inside. There were no immediate reports of any fighting in the country.

President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban have both signalled that peace talks could begin straight after Eid, and there are widespread calls for the warring parties to extend the ceasefire.

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