GHANI EXTENDS CEASEFIRE AS ARMY AND THE TALIBAN CELEBRATE EID TOGETHER WITH HUGS AND SNAPSHOTS

Ghani says it is clear both sides want peace as he urges talks after unprecedented scenes across country. But ISIS, which is not included in the truce, kills 20 people in Jalalabad blast

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani extended his government’s week-long ceasefire with the Taliban yesterday, and called on the group to reciprocate after dozens of its fighters entered the capital unarmed to celebrate a truce for Eid Al Fitr.

Mr Ghani also offered access to the families of imprisoned Taliban fighters and assistance for those injured.

The president’s announcement followed unprecedented scenes across the country of soldiers and militants exchanging hugs, greetings and a flurry of selfies.

Yesterday marked the second day of a three-day Eid ceasefire declared by the Taliban, except against foreign fighters. The government ceasefire was to have ended on Wednesday.

It was clear that both sides wanted peace, Mr Ghani said. Details of the ceasefire extension would be announced later.

He also repeated a call for the Taliban to join peace negotiations, promising to discuss “all issues and demands”.

The Taliban entered Kabul through gates in the south and south-east. Cheerful soldiers and Taliban hugged one another and exchanged Eid greetings in Logar province, south of Kabul, and Zabul in the south and central Maidan Wardak.

Afghan Deputy Interior Minister Masood Azizi said the ceasefire was being monitored throughout the country.

“Luckily, there have been no attacks,” Mr Azizi said.

Governors in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul said there had been no violence for 24 hours.

Members of rights groups organised a brief meeting between the Afghan army and insurgents in Helmand’s capital city, Laskargah, where the Taliban have delivered fatal blows to soldiers and police this year.

Men and women gathered around the soldiers and Taliban and urged them to keep their weapons holstered before they hugged each other.

“It was the most peaceful Eid,” said Qais Liwal, a student in Zabul. “For the first time we felt safe. It is hard to describe the joy.”

The main square of Kunduz city, capital of the province of the same name and site of bloody clashes, became a friendly meeting ground.

Resident Mohammad Amir said his younger brother had told him the Taliban were casually entering the city.

“I could not believe my eyes,” Mr Amir said. “I saw Taliban and police standing side by side and taking selfies.”

Photos on social media showed armed Afghan police standing at the corner of the street hugging Taliban fighters one by one. A video showed a crowd of people screaming as they welcomed the Taliban.

The Taliban are fighting USled Nato forces combined under the Resolute Support mission, and the government to restore Sharia after they were removed from power by the US and allies in 2001.

Resolute Support said it hoped the Taliban would stick to their ceasefire “and we hope that pause leads to progress on reconciliation”.

But the truce was marred by a suicide bombing in Jalalabad yesterday that was claimed by ISIS, which is not included in the ceasefires.

Officials said at least 20 people were killed when the bomber struck at a gathering of civilians, Taliban fighters and soldiers in the capital of Nangarhar province.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed on Thursday in a US air strike in Afghanistan, hours before the ceasefire came into effect, a senior Afghan Defence Ministry official said on Friday.

Fazlullah was Pakistan’s most-wanted militant, known for attacks including a 2014 school massacre that killed 132 pupils and the 2012 shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His death could ease strained ties between Islamabad and Washington.

Pakistan is considered crucial to persuading Afghan Taliban leaders, who Washington believes shelter on Pakistani soil, to begin talks that could end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.