Will carry out more attacks during Ramadan, says Taliban

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ANI Kabul [Afghanistan]
Last Updated : May 19 2018 | 8:30 PM IST

Despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appealing to terrorists to not plot suicide attacks during Ramadan, the Taliban has vowed to carry out more such attacks during the period.

In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid was quoted by Daily Times Pakistan as saying, "Islam's major battles were fought in Ramazan like the Jang-e-Badr and the Conquest of Mecca. So we will step up operations against the invaders and their backers."

The statement came after at least eight persons were killed and 45 others were wounded in three back to back explosions at a cricket stadium in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad of Nangarhar province on Friday evening.

The blasts exploded in the jam-packed stadium at around 11 pm (local time) on Friday evening as the spectators had gathered to watch a local "Ramadan Cup" match, the provincial governor's office said on Saturday, according to Geo TV.

The match was a part of a cricket tournament held between local teams to mark Ramadan, the holy month of the Muslims, provincial governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said in a statement.

So far, no group has claimed the responsibility for the Jalalabad blasts.

In a strongly-worded statement, President Ghani lambasted at the terrorists saying that "carrying out such attacks during the holy month of Ramadan proves that they are enemies of humanity and are not true believers in any religion or faith."

On a related note, the Afghan President had made a peace offer to the Taliban in the Kabul Process Conference in February, which also included the recognition of the Taliban as a political entity.

However, the terrorist group is yet to respond to President Ghani's offer.

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First Published: May 19 2018 | 8:30 PM IST

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