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The Taliban introduced Tuesday they received’t perform military operations in Afghanistan for 3 days throughout the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha that begins this weekend.
In a press release promising a quick respite to the combating, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahed stated commanders have been ordered not to perform operations for 3 days and nights, however are allowed to defend themselves if attacked.
The assertion additionally stated Taliban fighters aren’t to fraternize with Afghan safety forces personnel and neither facet is to cross into the opposite’s territory.
The Afghan authorities welcomed the Taliban announcement and presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi stated Afghan safety forces have been ordered not to assault however solely defend themselves.
The Taliban announcement follows a conciliatory message by chief Maulvi Hibatullah Akhunzada earlier Tuesday to mark the Muslim holiday. Both communiques come as Washington’s peace envoy returns to the area to attempt to jump-start negotiations between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban.
In his Eid message, Akhundzada stated the Taliban doesn’t search to monopolize energy in a future political make-up of Afghanistan. He additionally stated they help training for all and are abiding by the peace deal signed with the U.S. in February. The prolonged message repeatedly references an Islamic authorities the Taliban search to set up, with out elaborating how it will be completely different.
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was anticipated within the Afghan capital of Kabul, in addition to in Qatar, the place the Taliban preserve a political workplace. He was additionally anticipated in Islamabad, however there was some query about whether or not Pakistan was nonetheless a part of his itinerary.
The U.S.-Taliban deal signed Feb. 29 was touted as one of the best hope for peace in Afghanistan after many years of battle. While the U.S. and NATO have already begun decreasing their troop power, the second part of the deal — which requires talks between the Taliban and the Kabul political management — has been delayed. Much of the delays have been on account of Kabul’s reluctance to free a number of hundred of the Taliban prisoners recognized for launch as a part of the settlement.
Kabul had claimed these Taliban prisoners have been hardened criminals, responsible of main crimes.
But on Tuesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated he was prepared to free the rest of the prisoners, with out specifying why the change of coronary heart or if an settlement had been reached with the Taliban to substitute a few of them, a proposal the Taliban earlier rejected.
Under the deal, Kabul is to launch 5,000 Taliban and the insurgents had promised to free 1,000 authorities and military personnel. So far, Kabul has freed bout 4,000 and the Taliban almost 800.
“With this action, we look forward to the start of direct negotiations with the Taliban in a week’s time,” stated Ghani within the Afghan capital Kabul.
Ghani additionally known as for a everlasting cease-fire however the Taliban have persistently stated they have been prepared to negotiate a cease-fire within the talks with Kabul — each time they start — and accused the Afghan authorities of attacking the Taliban of their houses.
Last week, the Taliban introduced they have been prepared for talks with Afghanistan’s political management after the Eid al-Adha holiday, offering the final of the Taliban prisoners had been freed by then. The announcement adopted one of the vital shakeups within the Taliban in years.
The Taliban have caught to their promise not to assault U.S. and NATO troops, however have carried out scores of assaults on Afghan military targets. The United States would really like to see these assaults lowered or stopped.
“The Islamic Emirate has fulfilled its obligations regarding signing an agreement with the United States … and efforts toward launching intra-Afghan negotiations,” stated Akhunzada. “It is now up to the other parties to determine how they utilize this opportunity.”
The Taliban, whose regime was ousted in 2001 by the U.S.-led invasion, stated they’d permit women to go to faculty and girls to work, ought to they return to energy. Under a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, women weren’t allowed to go to faculty and girls have been barred from working.
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