Following the Ceasefire, Taliban Members Enter Kabul to Celebrate Eid al-Fitr

The spokesperson for the Kabul police reported that dozens of Taliban members, following a ceasefire with government forces, laid down their weapons and entered the capital of Afghanistan to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Hashmatullah Stanikzai stated on Saturday, June 16, to the Afghanistan section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "Some Taliban members who had surrendered their weapons at the gates of Kabul have entered the city." In an unexpected move, the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire to mark the end of Ramadan and the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, which began on Friday and does not include foreign forces. This event overlaps with the eight-day ceasefire announced by Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, which started last Tuesday. The ceasefire declared by the Afghan government does not include ISIS and al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, on Saturday, it was reported that Ashraf Ghani has ordered the unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban to be extended for an unspecified period and has requested the Taliban to extend their three-day ceasefire as well. According to a Reuters report, Wais Ahmad Barmak, the Afghan Interior Minister, met with Taliban militants in Kabul on Friday. Photos and videos shared on social media show Afghan government soldiers and Taliban forces embracing each other and taking pictures together in various provinces. A spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Defense told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Taliban security forces and members congratulated each other on Eid in Ghazni, Logar, Farah, and other provinces. Masoud Azizi, the Deputy Minister of Interior of Afghanistan, also told AFP that both sides have adhered to the ceasefire so far. Governors of Helmand, Kandahar, and Zabul have also confirmed that both sides have remained loyal to the ceasefire, and no violence has been reported in the past day. However, on Saturday, a car bomb attack in Nangarhar province resulted in the deaths of at least twenty people. Al Jazeera reported, citing Nangarhar provincial officials, that the victims of this attack included Taliban members, security forces, and several civilians. The Islamic State group, or ISIS, claimed responsibility for this attack. ISIS and the Haqqani network, which is linked to the Taliban, typically carry out such attacks in Afghanistan. This attack, which occurred 25 kilometers from Jalalabad, targeted people celebrating the second day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday and left at least 16 injured.