Taliban vow to resume attacks as truce ends in Afghanistan

Amin Alemi
Press TV, Kabul

The three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and the Afghan government that went into effect on Thursday has ended, and both sides are now in the fighting mood across the country.

The days-long ceasefire brought temporary optimism among local Afghans. But despite the truce, Afghan security bodies documented 60 attacks, including a huge bomb blast in northern Kabul during the second day of the ceasefire.

The incident happened inside a mosque in the Shakar Darrah district of Kabul where dozens of villagers had come together for Friday prayers. The blast claimed the lives of 12 worshipers and wounded 15 others. The Taliban condemned the attack which was later claimed by the Daesh terrorist group.

In the meantime, local Afghans call on the Taliban militant group to extend the ceasefire and continue to negotiate with representatives of the Afghan government on the country’s controversial peace process. They say the one and only way to end the war is closer cooperation among all local players to bring peace talks to fruition.

The Afghan government also argues that it is the best time for the Taliban to grab the opportunity to both approve a long-term ceasefire and hold fruitful peace negotiations in order to bring peace and stability to the war-ravaged country. Kabul has also called on Afghans to strongly stand against the militants if they continue to insist on war.

This is not the first time the Taliban have approved a short-term ceasefire since they were removed from power back in 2001. In June 2018, the Taliban gave the green light to a three-day truce. During that period, some Taliban militants entered Kabul while some Afghan armed troops went to Taliban controlled territories. They happily hugged each other and took photos as a show of goodwill for peace.

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