Kabul
A three-day Eid ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan government forces began on Friday with hopes that it may lead to possible peace talks between the two combatants.
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.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release of 500 Taliban prisoners on Friday as part of a new ceasefire that could lead into long-delayed peace talks.
Ghani said they would be freed during the Eid-ul-Adha holiday, which started Friday and has prompted a national ceasefire for three days.
The release would complete the government´s pledge to free 5,000 Taliban fighters as outlined in a deal the insurgents signed with Washington, he said.
“To show goodwill and accelerate the peace talks, we will release 500 Taliban prisoners in response to the group’s three-day ceasefire announcement,” Ghani said in an Eid speech.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has welcomed the announcement by Afghan Taliban for a three-day ceasefire on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha and a similar reciprocal statement by Afghan government.
In a statement in Islamabad, Foreign Office said Pakistan believes that this is a positive development towards advancing the goal of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, and hope that further steps will be taken to implement the US-Taliban Peace Agreement leading to Intra-Afghan negotiations.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful, stable, democratic, prosperous and united Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.—Agencies