News / Afghanistan

Taliban declare three-day Eid ceasefire amid spike in violence

Monday, 10 May 2021 6:12 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 10 May 2021 6:14 PM ]

An Afghan policeman searches a man at a road checkpoint during the ongoing fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters, on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital city of Helmand province May 5, 2021. (Photo by AFP)

The Taliban militant group has declared a three-day ceasefire across Afghanistan in observance of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, two days after 50 people, mostly young girls, were killed in bomb blasts outside a school in Kabul.

A statement released by the Taliban on Monday said the group had instructed its militants “to halt all offensive operations against the enemy countrywide from the first till the third day of Eid.”

“But if the enemy conducts any assault or attack against you during these days, stand ready to robustly protect and defend yourselves and your territory.”

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The Taliban declared similar ceasefires last year to mark the holidays.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani later in the day urged the Taliban to announce a permanent truce.

On Saturday, a series of bomb blasts killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 100 others.

The act of terror was done in a suburb of the capital which is largely populated by the Shia Hazara community.

Hazara Muslims have historically faced persecution in the country of 38 million.

Bus blast kills, injures 25 as Afghanistan reels from school tragedy:...

The Taliban have denied responsibility for the latest massacre in Kabul.

The militant group has also issued a warning of future attacks on US troops occupying the country.

The US was supposed to have pulled all its forces out of Afghanistan by May 1 as agreed with the Taliban last year, but Washington pushed back the date to September 11.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir