KABUL: Taliban said on Wednesday they would only fight to defend themselves for the Eid al-Adha Muslim vacation, but stopped declaring a formal ceasefire.
The militants will sweep sweep throughout Afghanistan, taking the area, winning the border intersection and surrounding cities, with all foreign troops except complete.
“I can confirm that we are in defense status during Eid al-Fitr,” a Taliban spokesman told AFP, without offering further details.
Eid al-Adha is one of the biggest festivals on Muslim calendars, and seeing cattle sacrificed to share with less special.
In Afghanistan, the celebration began this Monday and would run until the end of Friday.
For Islamic holidays, the militants have stated the pause in battle with government forces, offering a short break to Afghanistan who can visit family in relative safety.
But the group has been criticized because it uses a ceasefire to strengthen their position and supply fighters, allowing them to attack Afghan security forces so the ceasefire ends.
Taliban comment came a day after President Ashraf Ghani said in his speech that the Taliban had proven “they did not have the will and intention for peace,” with negotiations between the two consecutive sides reaching a little.
A few minutes before the address, at least three rockets landed near the Presidential Palace where Ghani held outdoor prayers with high-ranking officials to mark the start of Eid al-Fitr.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic group (IS).
While ideologically different, the much smaller has been accused of in the past acting as proxy for the Taliban – especially in attacks that target civilian government workers.
More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Kabul this week called for “urgent end” to the Taliban offensive now, saying it contradicts their claims to overcome the political agreement to end conflict.
The statement followed another round of unsurst convincing talks in Doha during the weekend between the two parties, which many would be expected to begin the painful process of peace.
During the weekend, Taliban’s highest leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said he “strongly supports” political settlement – even when the hard-line Islamist movement utilizes in the last stage of the attraction of US foreign troops led.