塔利班宣佈有限停火
The Taliban announced Saturday it will halt offensive operations against government security forces across Afghanistan during three-day festivities of Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The cease-fire coincides with the unilateral weeklong halting of anti-Taliban operations by the Afghan government starting Tuesday.
An insurgent statement said the Taliban leadership has also ordered his fighters not to hold meetings in civilian areas during the holiday period to enable their countrymen peacefully celebrate the festival. But it vowed to continue attacks on U.S.-led foreign troops in the country.
This will be the first time since 2002 that the Islamist insurgency will cease hostilities in Afghanistan where it currently controls or contests nearly half of 407 Afghan districts.
Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal swiftly welcomed the insurgent gesture.
The Taliban in its announcement from its chief Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada, has also said it will release some prisoners after seeking commitments from them that they will not rejoin Afghan forces.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani earlier this week ordered his forces to stop offensive operations against the Taliban to encourage insurgents to come to the table and seek a negotiated end to the 17 year old conflict.
The move has been widely welcomed and the U.S. has promised to honor Ghani's peace gesture.
Washington confirmed Thursday it has asked neighboring Pakistan to help in facilitating an Afghan peace and reconciliation process by persuading the Taliban to engage in talks with Kabul.塔利班星期六宣佈，開齋節3天期間，在阿富汗全國停止對政府軍的攻擊行動。開齋節標誌着穆斯林齋月的結束。
塔利班的停火正值阿富汗政府星期二開始單方停止打擊塔利班的行動一星期。
塔利班的聲明說，塔利班領導層已經下令，其武裝人員在開齋節期間不得在平民區開會，以便讓同胞們和平度過開齋節。但是塔利班誓言將繼續在阿富汗打擊美國爲首的外國聯軍。
這將是2002年以來塔利班第一次在阿富汗停火。塔利班目前控制或試圖控制阿富汗407個區中的將近一半。
阿富汗駐巴基斯坦大使扎克希爾瓦爾立即表示歡迎塔利班的停火。
塔利班在其領袖哈巴圖拉·阿坤札達（Haibatullah Akhunzada）發出的停火宣佈中說，將釋放一些俘虜，但是他們首先要保證不會重新加入阿富汗政府軍。
阿富汗總統加尼本星期早些時候命令政府軍停止進攻塔利班，鼓勵塔利班參加談判，爭取結束已爲時17年的衝突。
阿富汗政府的行動受到廣泛歡迎，美國保證支持加尼總統的和平姿態。
美國星期四證實，已經邀請鄰國巴基斯坦幫助推動阿富汗和平與和解進程，勸說塔利班與喀布爾政府談判。
