KABUL, Afghanistan �� Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a temporary cease-fire with the Taliban to begin with the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
The cessation in fighting would begin Monday and last three months if the insurgent group reciprocates, Ghani said on Twitter Sunday. The Taliban didn't immediately react and its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed didn't respond to calls seeking comment. The last cease-fire took place for three days in June to unprecedented scenes of Taliban militants hugging Afghan security forces in some cities.
"We call on the leadership of the Taliban to welcome the wishes of Afghans for a long lasting and real peace, and we urge them to get ready for peace talks based on Islamic values and principles," Ghani said. "The Afghan government has removed all obstacles for a long-lasting peace through these unprecedented steps."
Another cease-fire would raise hopes of an eventual breakthrough in negotiations to end the 17-year-conflict and America's longest war. A U.S delegation met with Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar, last month for peace talks/ Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada reiterated Saturday calls for direct talks with U.S. The group has publicly refused to negotiate with Ghani's administration, which it sees as illegitimate.
In recent weeks, the Taliban's senior leaders have also traveled to Uzbekistan and Indonesia and met with the nations' foreign ministers. However, those meetings coincided with a wave of attacks in which hundreds were killed. The group tried to take over strategic city of Ghazni last week, its most brazen assault on an urban area in two years.
Neighboring Pakistan, which has long been accused of providing sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban, called for an extended cease-fire.
"Pakistan fully supports all such efforts that contribute to achieving durable stability and lasting peace in Afghanistan," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday. "Preferably for a more extended period of time."
