The Taliban militant group declared a three-day ceasefire in Afghanistan on Saturday on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting period, APA reports citing Sputnik.
"In order for the countrymen to observe Eid al-Fitr with satisfaction, all the Mujahideen... are instructed or ordered by the leadership to take special measures for the security of the countrymen during the three days of Eid al-Fitr and not to attack the enemy anywhere", the declaration reads.
The declaration comes after US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a statement that Taliban during talks in Doha raised concerns about Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's decision to order offensive operations against the insurgent movement.
Last week, Ghani ordered a military offensive against the Taliban after an attack on a maternity ward that left dozens dead and injured including newborn babies. The Afghan government blamed the Taliban while the United States said the Daesh* terrorist group was solely responsible.
In late February, the United States and the Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha. In a follow-up to the deal, the intra-Afghan negotiations were scheduled to begin in mid-March but stalled due to disagreements over prisoner swap conditions and continued violence.
According to Afghan officials, the Taliban has initiated over 3,800 attacks across the country since the peace deal with Washington was signed, despite their commitment to do otherwise.
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