Kabul: In an unexpected move, the Taliban on Saturday announced a three-day ceasefire with the Afghan government on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

A statement issued by the group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Twitter said that the Taliban will not stage any attack on ‘enemy’ forces, but will maintain the right to defend itself against potential threats.

This comes amid calls made by international organizations and partners for the Taliban to reduce violence and begin talks with the Afghan government.

An Eid ceasefire was called for by the Taliban also in June 2018.

Earlier last month, President Ashraf Ghani appealed to the group to announce a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan, but the group at the time rejected Ghani’s appeal and instead called him an "obstacle" in the way towards the peace process, and cited his delays of a prisoner release called for in the US-Taliban agreement.

Violence has dramatically increased in Afghanistan over the past few months since the US-Taliban peace deal signed in Doha on February 29.

Over the past few weeks a number of attacks rocked key Afghan towns, including an attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul.

Though the Taliban denied involvement, the Afghan government blamed the Taliban for the attack, as well as an attack in Nangarhar. Both attacks took dozens of civilian lives.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/taliban-announces-three-day-ceasefire-eid