Eid ul-Adha: US welcomes Taliban's ceasefire announcement

The United States welcomes the Taliban's declaration of a three-day ceasefire over Eid ul-Adha commencing on July 31, acting US Ambassador to Kabul Ross Wilson said.

"I welcome the announcements of an Eid ceasefire: Afghans deserve to celebrate the holiday in peace. I look forward to both sides fulfilling their commitments and moving quickly to intra-Afghan negotiations," Wilson tweeted on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced that his government will release 600 Taliban prisoners the group had insisted upon as a pre-condition to opening peace talks that could now start as early as next week's ceasefire.

The truce will start on July 31, marking the first day of Eid ul-Adha and continue for the duration of the religious holiday.

The Taliban have committed to reducing violence as part of a peace agreement negotiated by the US in Doha on February 29. In addition to mutual release of prisoners, the agreement was expected to launch the intra-Afghan talks and pave the way for ending the almost two-decade-long confrontation between Kabul and the Taliban.

(Sputnik/ANI)

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