Badghis Governor Hesamuddin Shams said Thursday government forces and the Taliban militants have declared a ceasefire following mediation of tribal elders in the province.

The ceasefire was declared at 10 am Thursday and the Taliban have also retreated from the outskirts of the provincial capital Qal-e-Naw city, sources told Ariana News.

According to the sources, the ceasefire will continue until the end of Eid al-Adha next week.

The Taliban has not commented yet.

Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire, by government, the international community and humanitarian organizations, the Taliban has continually said they will call a truce once certain conditions have been met. Their conditions include the release of 7,000 Taliban prisoners and the removal of the names of their leaders from the UN blacklist.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Nader Naderi, a member of the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team, stated: “Taliban have proposed a three-month ceasefire but in return, they want the release their 7,000 prisoners and the removal of their leaders’ names from the UN blacklist which is a heavy demand by them.”

Sources, meanwhile, had told Ariana News that an eleven-member delegation led by Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, will head to Doha on Friday for talks with the Taliban.

So far, the delegation head and members, their authority, and the agenda for the talks have not been finalized, sources said.

However, the US State Department’s spokesman Ned Price also said on Wednesday that a senior delegation from the Afghan government will visit Doha.
Price did not however give names nor any other details about the trip.