Taliban announces three-day Eid ceasefire

KABUL: The Taliban have announced a three-day ceasefire with the Afghan government starting today after months of months of fighting.

A spokesperson for Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the group’s “leadership instructs all the mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate to take special steps for security of the Afghan citizens, and would not conduct offensive operation against the enemy anywhere.”

The statement further said which announced a stop to hostilities during the three days of Eid, directed Taliban fighters to refrain from entering government areas and also said that Kabul forces were not permitted to enter territories under their control.

Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani has welcomed the Taliban’s offer and instructed his forces to also comply, while the US envoy to Afghanistan hailed the deal as a “momentous opportunity.”

I welcome the ceasefire announcement by the Taliban. The Afghan government extends the offer of peace. As Commander in Chief I have instructed ANDSF to comply with the three-days truce and to defend only if attacked. Further details will be given in my speech tomorrow morning.

— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) May 23, 2020

US Special Representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who brokered the deal, said on Twitter Saturday that the United States welcomed “the Taliban’s decision to observe a ceasefire during Eid, as well as the Afghan government announcement reciprocating and announcing its own ceasefire.”

(1/5) #EidMubarak to all who celebrate. We welcome the Taliban’s decision to observe a ceasefire during Eid, as well as the Afghan government announcement reciprocating and announcing its own ceasefire.

— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) May 23, 2020

He urged the Taliban to continue to abide by the agreement, calling the halt in violence “a momentous opportunity that should not be missed” while pledging that the United States would “do its part to help.”