Taliban in ceasefire call for Eid holiday

Move comes days after group blamed for blast near school that killed 50 people, mostly girls

The Taliban yesterday offered a three-day ceasefire across Afghanistan to mark this week’s Eid ul-Fitr holiday, just two days after being blamed for killing more than 50 people – mostly young girls – in a bomb attack outside a school in the capital.

The interior ministry reported yesterday that at least 11 people were separately killed just hours before the Taliban announcement by a bomb that struck a bus in restive Zabul province.

The ceasefire offer comes as the United States continues to pull out its last 2,500 troops from the violence-wracked country despite faltering peace efforts between the Taliban and Afghan government to end a decadeslong war.

“Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are instructed to halt all offensive operations against the enemy countrywide from the first til the third day of Eid,” the Taliban said. “But if the enemy conducts any assault or attack against you during these days, stand ready to robustly protect and defend yourselves and your territory.”

But if the enemy conducts any assault … stand ready to defend yourself

TALIBAN STATEMENT

Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and the holiday begins according to the sighting of the new moon. The Taliban declared similar ceasefires last year to mark Islamic holidays.

The government usually reciprocates with a truce.

The latest offer comes after the government blamed the Taliban for Saturday’s attack outside a girls’ school in Dasht-e-Barchi, a suburb of Kabul largely populated by the Shiite Hazara community, which is often targeted by extremist Sunni Islamist militants.

A series of blasts outside the school – when residents were shopping ahead of the holiday – killed more than 50 people and wounded over 100.

It was the deadliest attack in more than a year.

The Taliban, who denied responsibility, had earlier issued a statement saying the nation needed to “look after educational centres and institutions”.

On Sunday, relatives buried the dead at a hilltop site known as “Martyrs Cemetery”, where victims of attacks against the Hazara community are laid to rest.

Hazaras are Shiite Muslims and considered heretics by extremist Sunnis. Sunni Muslims make up most the Afghan population.

Saturday’s blasts drew widespread global condemnation.

Pope Francis called it “an inhumane action”, while Iran blamed the jihadist Islamic State.

India, meanwhile, called for the dismantling of “terrorist sanctuaries” and a ceasefire to boost peace efforts.