Afghanistan set to release 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a 'good will gesture' after welcoming three-day Eid al Fitr truce
A man sits outside the Pul-e Khishti mosque at the start of the Eid al Fitr festival which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Kabul on May 24, 2020.
The decision to release the prisoners was a "good will gesture" and was taken "to ensure success of the peace process", Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.A US-Taliban deal signed in February stipulated that the Afghan government would release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the insurgents would free about 1,000 Afghan security force personnel.
Ghani also said a government delegation was "ready to immediately start the peace talks" with the insurgents. US Special Representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who brokered the deal, said on Twitter Saturday that the ceasefire was "a momentous opportunity that should not be missed" while pledging that the United States would "do its part to help".
Analysts however say the Taliban have been emboldened by the deal with the US, and Afghan government officials have reported more than 3,800 attacks since it was signed, killing 420 civilians and wounding 906.Khalilzad has maintained that the insurgents have kept up their end of the bargain by not attacking coalition forces – even if recent violence violated the spirit of the accord.
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