Taliban kills governor despite cease-fire

TALIBAN fighters killed a district governor in northern Afghanistan and kept up the pressure to seize control over some parts of Faryab province, ignoring the temporary cease-fire announced by the government that came into effect yesterday.

Last week Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced for the first time an unconditional cease-fire with the Taliban, coinciding with the end of the Muslim fasting month.

In response, the Afghan Taliban announced a surprise three-day cease-fire over the Muslim Eid holiday in the middle of June.

The government’s eightday cease-fire started yesterday and the Taliban’s three-day cease-fire will begin on Friday.

The Taliban has not stopped their attacks. Insurgents killed Abdurrahman Panah, the district governor of Kohistanat district in Faryab province.

At least eight Afghan security officials have been killed in the ongoing clashes, two officials said.

Javed Bedar, spokesman for Faryab province confirmed the death of a district governor and that the district center had fallen to Taliban.

“We know that the ceasefire has been announced but we have the right to defend ourselves,” said Bedar, adding that they were seeking immediate reinforcements.

In Ghazni, a southern province, insurgents placed a Humvee vehicle car bomb near the house of a district governor yesterday.

Fighting was also under way in Sar-e-Pul, a northern province where the insurgents had captured two checkpoints.