Ghani extends ceasefire with Taliban

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday announced an extension of the government's week-long ceasefire with the Taliban which was otherwise due to end on Tuesday.

"To respect the public's wishes and to support their demands about peace, I am ordering the security and defense forces to extend the ceasefire from the fourth day of Eid. We will soon share the details of the proposed ceasefire with the nation," Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tweeted.

He also urged the Taliban to extend their three-day ceasefire which is due to end Sunday.

"We also request the Afghan Taliban to extend their ceasefire. During the ceasefire, we will provide medical assistance to the wounded Taliban, and will provide them any humanitarian assistance if needed. Taliban prisoners will also be allowed to contact and see their families," Ghani wrote in another tweet.

This comes in the backdrop of an initial truce which was observed by both sides over the Eid festival period.

Emphasising on the significance of peace, the Afghan President Peace said, "Peace is an urgent need and as it turned out that in the last 24 hours there was a consensus between the Afghan government and the Taliban on peace, it proved that we are all for peace. Fortunately, there's also consensus among the international community on peace in Afghanistan."

The Taliban on June 9 announced a three-day ceasefire over the Eid holiday, two days after the Afghan government announced the ceasefire.

"The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan announces ceasefire from the 27th of Ramadan until the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr," Ghani tweeted on June 7.

It is the first time the Taliban has agreed to a ceasefire for Eid since the US invasion in 2001.

Other countries welcomed the ceasefire move by both sides and said this should become a permanent ceasefire.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also welcomed the Taliban's announcement.