Taliban agrees to short-term reduction of violence: Source

KABUL (TOLO News): The Taliban’s leadership will commit to reduce violence once a peace deal is signed with the US, said sources close to the group on Thursday amid a spate of attacks across the country.

The reduction of violence will include a halt in conducting suicide attacks—and other kinds of attacks– in major cities, and the Taliban will not block major highways, according to sources.

Some senior members of the Taliban who recently traveled from Doha to Pakistan have returned to Doha, but they have not yet shared the outcome of their discussions with the US side, sources said.

“The Taliban said that they will not agree on a ceasefire; however, a partial agreement was reached about the reduction of violence and the final decision regarding the issue will be announced by the Taliban’s leader,” said Mawlana Jalaluddin Shinwari, the former attorney general during the Taliban regime.

“A reduction of violence would mean a halt to major attacks, and the Taliban will not try to take over districts and will avoid blocking major highways,” said Abdul Shokor Mutmaeen, the former head of the Olympic committee during the Taliban regime.

“The Taliban say that the issue of a ceasefire will be on the top of the agenda during the intra-Afghan talks,” said Faiz Mohammad Zaland, a university professor in Kabul.

The Afghan government has insisted on a reduction of violence and a ceasefire as preconditions for talking to the Taliban.

The US and the Taliban representatives will soon meet, the source said.