As celebrations for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr began on Thursday, a three-day ceasefire between the Talibana nd Afghan government began as well. The ceasefire was proposed by the Taliban and agreed to by President Ashraf Ghani. This will be the fourth pause in fighting in nearly 20 years of conflict. The ceasefire will give Afghan families respite as they celebrate Eid after the month of Ramadan.
Violence in Afghanistan has intensified in the past few weeks after the United States missed the May 1 deadline to remove all of its troops. The Taliban and Afghan government began peace talks in September of last year, but they have stalled. Ceasefires in the past have largely held, and the US and Nato have pledged to withdraw their troops by September 11.
Read more: Three-day Eid ceasefire comes into force in Afghanistan
