Taliban and Afghan forces declare Eid holiday ceasefire as violence soars

The U.S. welcomed the move — which has taken place for previous Islamic holidays — and called on the Taliban to go further

The Taliban and Afghan government Monday declared a three-day ceasefire for this week’s Eid al-Fitr holiday, following a sharp spike in violence as Washington pursues a withdrawal of its remaining troops from Afghanistan. Violence has soared since May 1 — the deadline missed by the United States to withdraw the last of its troops — and while the Taliban have avoided engaging American forces, attacks against government and civilian targets have not stopped. In the latest, the interior ministry said Monday that at least 11 people were killed by a bomb that struck a bus overnight in southeastern Zabul province.