Afghan leader welcomes ceasefire with Taliban at Eid

Afghan Muslims hug each other after offering prayers at the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of Ramadan at the Shah-e Do Shamshira mosque in Kabul on June 15, 2018. Afghans welcomed the start of the Taliban's first ceasefire since the 2001 US invasion on June 15, as they celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that caps the fasting month of Ramadan. (AFP photo) AFGHAN President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani welcomed on Friday a three-day cease-fire with the Taliban in an address to the nation heralding the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

The holiday marks the end of the Ramadan holy month, when devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

The cease-fire took effect at midnight on Thursday and lasts through the three-day holiday.

Ghani used the opportunity to appeal for a lengthier cease-fire so that “there is no more bloodshed.”

The Taliban agreed to the cease-fire but leader Haibaitullah Akhunzada reiterated his demand for talks with the US before sitting down with the Afghan government.

Afghans welcomed the announcement, saying they hoped this temporary cease-fire would change into a long lasting one.

The Taliban has been engaged in a violent power struggle with the US-backed government in Kabul since 2001 with the aim of establishing a state under strict Islamic law. (AP)

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