Taliban in ceasefire

THE Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday starting yesterday in a surprise move following months of fighting with Afghan forces after the group signed a landmark agreement with the United States.

President Ashraf Ghani welcomed the insurgents’ offer and ordered his forces to also comply, while the US envoy to Afghanistan hailed the deal as a “momentous opportunity.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged all parties to “seize this opportunity for peace”.