3-Day Ceasefire in Afghanistan to Continue for Another Week - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The three-day ceasefire announced in Afghanistan on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday will be extended for another week, Afghan media reported Monday.

Afghan news agency Pajhwok cited a source close both to the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group as saying that the warring parties would seek to reduce violence after the truce expired.

On 24 May, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad have both welcomed the ceasefire, saying it should pave the way for lasting peace.

The Taliban ceased fire on Sunday, in a move welcomed by President Ashraf Ghani who ordered Afghan security forces to stand down. He also announced plans to free up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as part of the intra-Afghan peace process.

The United States and the Taliban signed a peace agreement at the end of February. The main premises of the deal are the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the launch of intra-Afghan peace talks, subject to a mutual exchange of prisoners. There has been little progress in the Afghan peace process amid continuing violence in the country.