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Afghan President announces ceasefire if Taliban agrees, too

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday announced a monthlong ceasefire of action against the Taliban, which said it will release hundreds of prisoners to mark the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha.

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By
Jay Croft
(CNN) — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday announced a monthlong ceasefire of action against the Taliban, which said it will release hundreds of prisoners to mark the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha.

The ceasefire would start Monday, if the Taliban agrees to honor it, Ghani said.

The Taliban has not responded. But hours after Ghani's announcement, the militant organization said it will release hundreds of prisoners to celebrate the holiday, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice.

In a series of tweets, Ghani said the ceasefire would extend "till the day of the birth of the prophet (PBUH) i.e., Milad-un-Nabi, provided that the Taliban reciprocate."

In June, the Afghan government called off the unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban it had announced for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

During the three-day truce, dozens of people were killed in two suicide bombings, for which ISIS claimed responsibility. ISIS has not been a party to ceasefire talks.

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