18 June 2018•Update: 19 June 2018
By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan
Violence returned to Afghanistan on Monday after a three-day Eid truce killing at least seven security personnel in various Taliban attacks, officials and local media confirmed.
Muhibullah Muhib, spokesman for the police in western Farah province, told Anadolu Agency the Taliban attacked check posts in Farah city, Anar Dara and Sheb Koh districts last night. He said five attackers were killed.
The provincial administration confirmed five policemen were killed in these clashes.
The local Salam Afghanistan radio reported the killing of two soldiers in Faryab province in Taliban attacks.
The Taliban have staged similar attacks in Helmand, Ghazni, Badghes, and Kunduz provinces. Taking responsibility for these attacks, Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesman, tweeted that at least 27 security forces were killed in these offensives dubbed as part of the ‘al-Khandaq’ spring offensives.
Sunday was the third and last day of cease-fire declared by the Taliban and the sixth day of the cease-fire announced by the government. Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has hinted to extend the cease-fire.
"We are ready for comprehensive negotiations, all those issues and demands that have been put-forth, we are ready to discuss them at the peace talks. The Afghan government is ready to discuss issues of mutual concern with neighboring countries, and presence of foreign forces,” the president said on Thursday, the second day of cease-fire.
The UN Security Council urged the Taliban to reciprocate Kabul's cease-fire "in full", expressing "strong disappointment" the Taliban has not already extended its partial cease-fire "and urged them to respond to the call for peace from the Afghan people by reciprocating the Government’s ceasefire in full."
"The members of the Security Council reiterated the importance of an inclusive Afghan-led and -owned peace process for the long-term prosperity and stability of Afghanistan, and expressed their full support for the Afghan Government’s efforts to that end," the council said.
*Anadolu Agency correspondent Michael Hernandez contributed to this report from Washington
