Hugs and selfies as Taliban marks Eid ceasefire in Kabul
Dozens of unarmed Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital on Saturday to celebrate an unprecedented ceasefire marking the end of the Ramadan fasting season, as elsewhere soldiers and militants, in remarkable scenes, exchanged hugs and selfies.
The Taliban announced a surprise three-day ceasefire over the Eid holiday, which began on Friday, except against foreign forces. It overlaps with an Afghan government ceasefire which lasts until Wednesday.
Many people across the country have urged the government and the Taliban to extend their ceasefires.
The Taliban, wearing traditional headgear and many with sunglasses, entered Kabul through gates in the south and southeast. Traffic jams formed where people stopped to take pictures of the fighters with their flags. The Taliban urged people to come forward and take selfies.
“They are unarmed as they handed over their weapons at the entrances,” Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai told Reuters. Their weapons would be returned when they leave, he said.
Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak met Taliban fighters in Kabul, Tolo news said, an almost unthinkable prospect just two weeks ago.
Video and pictures on news websites showed cheerful soldiers and Taliban hugging one another and exchanging Eid greetings in Logar province, south of Kabul, and Zabul in the south and central Maidan Wardak. Some people were dancing and clapping as onlookers took photos with their smartphones.
Afghan Deputy Interior Minister Masood Azizi said the ceasefire was being monitored throughout the country. “Luckily there have been no attacks,” he told Reuters.
Governors in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul said both sides had adhered to the ceasefire and that there had been no reports of violence for 24 hours.
“It was the most peaceful Eid. For the first time we felt safe. It is hard to describe the joy,” said Qais Liwal, a student in Zabul.