Partial truce mostly holds on first day

KABUL: A partial truce marking a potential turning point in Afghanistan’s gruelling war appeared to be holding on Saturday, with only isolated attacks threatening to mar a process that drew jubilant civilians across the shattered country onto streets to celebrate.

The Taliban, US and Afghan forces have all agreed to a so-called “reduction in violence”, marking only the second lull in fighting since the US-led invasion of 2001.

However in Balkh province in the north, Taliban fighters attacked a district headquarters near the provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing two Afghan soldiers, a local official said.

There were also reports of a separate incident in central Uruzgan province.

General Scott Miller, who leads US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, did not directly address those incidents, but stressed that Western forces would continually monitor the situation.

“We’ve stopped our offensive operations as part of our obligations,” Gen Miller told reporters.

In the event of any breaches of the truce, Gen Miller said the US would communicate with the Taliban through various channels set up in Doha, where the insurgents have a political office.

“As more days go on we will have a better understanding of what trends are,” he said.

“Very clearly this is a conditional effort, this is a trial period.”

The partial truce is expected to set the conditions for Washington and the insurgents to sign a deal in Doha on Feb 29 that could, ultimately, pull US troops out after more than 18 years and launch war-weary Afghanistan into an uncertain future.