Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday announced the end of the government's unilateral ceasefire and ordered forces to restart operations across the country.
"The ceasefire is over. The Afghan security and defense forces are allowed to restart their military operations," Ghani told reporters.
The government's ceasefire, which lasted 18 days after it was extended once, overlapped with the Taliban's independent three-day truce for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of Ramadan.
The three days of no fighting were unprecedented in the nearly 17-year conflict.
Read more: Why Taliban won't make peace with Kabul
Ghani said the ceasefire had been 98 percent successful and had shown that the majority of the rebels wanted peace, adding that it was now the "Taliban's turn to give a positive response."
"I am ready to extend the ceasefire anytime when the Taliban are ready," he said.
Read more: Who is Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah?
But after a few days of Taliban fighters openly socializing with government security forces and civilians over Eid, the Taliban's leaders on Sunday ordered its men back to their posts.
The Taliban vowed Tuesday to continue their violent fight against the government and their foreign backers, brushing aside the rising number of civilian casualties.
The ceasefires did not extend to the Islamic State (IS), which has a small but strong presence in the country. IS launched two deadly attacks on ceasefire revelers during Eid.
law/aw (AFP, AP)
Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan over the past several months have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Spring offensive
Last week, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted last year, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Trump's Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan last year, vowing to deploy more troops, on top of the 11,000 already in the country, to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain American presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani's offer in February for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban have shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy." Observers say it is unlikely that the militant group will engage in any negotiations, as they currently have the upper hand on the battleground. The Taliban now control more Afghan districts than at any other time since 2001.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
-
The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism.
Author: Shamil Shams
