Taliban announces three-day ceasefire with Afghan govt during Eid

Kabul: Taliban has announced a three-day ceasefire with the Afghan government during Eid-ul-Fitr, the annual religious festival holidays.

The truce announcement comes after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani announced on Thursday observing unilateral seven-day ceasefire from June 12 till the holidays, Chinese news agency Xinhua said in a report on Saturday.

The militant body ordered its fighters not to target Afghan security forces during the holidays which begin at the end of Muslim holy fasting month Ramadan, which probably falls on Thursday or Friday depending on sighting of moon, a statement said here.

However, the militants excluded foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan and said the militants would attack the foreign soldiers posted in the war-battered country.

The Afghan government ceasefire excluded al-Qaida and Islamic State (IS) group, saying the security forces would continue to target the said militant groups in the militancy- plagued country. (UNI)