Taliban fighters and Afghan security forces on Saturday hugged and took selfies with each other in restive eastern Afghanistan and dozens of unarmed militants entered the Afghan capital as an unprecedented ceasefire in the war-torn country held for the second day of Eid.
Carrying assault weapons and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, members of Afghanistan's biggest militant group travelled by car and motorbike through the contested district of Bati Kot in Nangarhar province, waving Afghan and Taliban flags.
Afghan forces manning checkpoints offered Eid greetings to the Taliban, embracing and posing for photos with the same people they are usually trying to kill -- a scene that would have been unthinkable only a few days ago.
Villagers also flocked around the insurgents, hugging them and happily taking selfies with the heavily armed fighters as they celebrated the holiday capping the holy month of Ramadan.
"I am here to offer greetings to our brothers in the police and army," Taliban commander Baba told AFP.
"We have held the ceasefire well so far. Everyone is tired of war and if our leaders order us to continue the ceasefire, we will hold it forever."
A Taliban fighter on a motorbike carrying the Afghan and Taliban flags welcomed the ceasefire, but said long-lasting peace would only be achieved if US forces left the country.
The Taliban announced a ceasefire for the first three days of Eid, which started Friday, promising not to attack Afghan security forces for the first time since the 2001 US invasion.
They said they would continue attacking US-led NATO troops.
That came after President Ashraf Ghani announced that police and troops would cease operations against the Taliban for eight days, starting last Tuesday -- though he warned that operations against other militants, including ISIS, would continue.
In Kabul, the Taliban entered the capital through gates in the south and southeast.
"They are unarmed as they handed over their weapons at the entrances," Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai told Reuters. Their weapons will be returned to them when they leave, he said.
Channel 1 TV tweeted a picture of a lone Talib waving the group's flag from a Kabul bridge.
Afghan Deputy Interior Minister Masood Azizi said the ceasefire was being monitored throughout the country.
"Luckily there have been no attacks," he told Reuters.
