Taliban announce three-day Eid ceasefire with the government

The Taliban have announced a ceasefire with the Afghan government that will take effect when the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr begins today. It follows a rise in attacks by the hardline Islamist group against government troops in recent weeks. "My soldiers would respect the terms of the truce" President Ashraf Ghani said, welcoming the announcement. The Taliban statement also instructed its fighters to refrain from entering government areas and also Kabul forces were not allowed to enter territories under their control. The three-day ceasefire is likely to raise hopes of a longer-term reduction in violence in the country. However, a similar ceasefire was announced in 2018 for the same festival and was not extended. Source - BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52785604