The Taliban yesterday denied that it had agreed to any ceasefire in Afghanistan after reports that a potential deal would see a reduction in fighting after more than 18 years of war.
“In the past few days, some media have been releasing untrue reports about a ceasefire... The fact is that, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no ceasefire plans,” the Taliban said in a statement.
Reports said that the Taliban’s ruling council on Sunday had agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Photo: AP
The statement from the insurgents comes as local and international forces brace for another bloody winter amid US-Taliban talks to end the violence in Afghanistan.
Deadly bouts of fighting have continued even as Washington negotiates with the militants in a bid to reduce the US’ military footprint in the country, in return for the insurgents ensuring an improved security situation.
Afghanistan is also struggling with an ongoing political dispute after officials announced preliminary results in the latest presidential elections that put Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on track to secure a second term.
Elections authorities have yet to declare the results as final after receiving more than 16,000 complaints about the polls, with the ultimate tally expected in the next few weeks.
The Taliban have long viewed Ghani as a US stooge and have refused to negotiate with his government.
Additional reporting by AP
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