Afghan President Prolongs Ceasefire With Taliban After Daesh Suicide Attack

The suicide bomb explosion took place in Nangarhar province, Eastern Afghanistan Reuters reported, during celebrations of the Eid holiday. At least 26 people were killed: both Taliban militants and civilians.

Daesh has claimed responsibility for an explosion that took place amid Taliban fighters and the country's security forces celebrations of an unprecedented ceasefire, held during the Eid holiday, marking the end of the Ramadan fasting season, the Reuters news agency reported.

Prior to that, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday that the country's government and the Taliban militant group had agreed to prolong the ceasefire regime, TOLOnews broadcaster reported without specifying how long the truce will last. The Afghanistan President's office stated that some 46 Taliban prisoners have been freed during the cessation of hostilities.

READ MORE: Afghan Police Allowed to Respond to Taliban Attacks During Ceasefire — Minister

The president hasn't commented on the car bomb accident yet.

VIDEO: Afghan Taliban chilling out with locals and Afghan security forces, waving both Taliban flag and Afghan national flag, filmed in Nangarhar. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/XMpvfKJLIe

— F. Jeffery 👁 (@Natsecjeff) June 15, 2018

Later, the agency specified, citing Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor of Nangarhar, that the blast was caused by a bomb, allegedly planted in one of Taliban militants' car. The blast killed some 26 people, both militants and civilians in the town of Ghazi Aminullah Khan, on the main Torkham-Jalalabad road. The Taliban stated, as quoted by the agency, they were not responsible for the blast.

The militants traveled through the contested district of Bati Kot in Nangarhar province with Afghan and Taliban flags, taking selfies and pictures with the Afghan forces and the locals.

#Taliban and #Afghan security forces jointly celebrates #EidulFitr in MaidanWardak province. The unprecedented move towards peace and ceasefire is gaining hearts of the #Afghans. @NasibAtta @thepashtuntimes @bashirgwakh @BRRubin @NSAAtmar pic.twitter.com/oJA2KQGYPU

— Basir Pashteen Atiqzai (@BasirAtiqzai) June 15, 2018

 

Previously it was reported that the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan, Vais Ahmad Barmak, met with several members of the Taliban movement in Kabul on Saturday amid the established ceasefire.

READ MORE: Pakistani Taliban Leader Killed in US Drone Strike in Afghanistan — Reports

On June 7, Ghani announced a temporary unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban for the period between June 11 and June 19 to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Later in June, Taliban decided to join the declared truth.