A Taliban team, which has gone to Kabul for verification and identification of prisoners, on Thursday met Taliban prisoners in Pul-i-Charkhi jail amid what is believed Taliban’s “quite ceasefire.” The Taliban’s three-day Eid ceasefire has already expired but they have not announced resumption of fighting like they had done when a similar ceasefire was ended in June 2018. Although there was no major attack across Afghanistan, Afghan government’s helicopters rained bombs on people gathered to welcome freed Taliban prisoners in Zabul on Wednesday. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on twitter on Wednesday the “enemy helicopters bombed civilians in Zabul, killing 6 civilians including 4 children.” He said the strike was carried out at a time when the Taliban did not carry out any attack.
Afghan officials; however, said the airstrike was a response to a Taliban attack. They also claimed another Taliban attack on a military check post in Parwan province, north of Kabul, Wednesday night, killing seven security personnel.
Taliban have not confirmed the government’s claim. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said a 5-members technical team of the Taliban for the release of prisoners has been sent to Kabul for verification and identification of prisoners. The said team is tasked with addressing technical issues of the prisoners, Shaeen wrote on twitter on Thursday.
A Taliban official told Daily Times that the team led by Maulvi Ziauddin met Taliban prisoners in Pul-i-Charkhi prison at the outskirts of Kabul to monitor release of the prisoners.
Afghan government on Tuesday released nearly 900 Taliban prisoners that was as a major step to end the stalemate in the peace process and move towards the start of the intra-Afghan dialogue. Shaheen said Taliban on Thursday released 80 government’s prisoners from Baghlan and Kunduz. Every freed man was given 5000 afghanis (Afghan currency) and clothes, he said.
Although Taliban have not publicly extended Eid ceasefire, Taliban officials say the ceasefire is quietly continued “in view of the positive developments”. They were referring to the release of prisoners by both sides. Taliban spokesmen Zabihullah Mujahid and Suhail Shaheen did not reply when a query was posted on his WhatsApp number if the Taliban will extend the ceasefire. Afghan government’s earlier refusal to free 5000 Taliban prisoners had delayed the intra-Afghan dialogue that was scheduled to start on March 10. President Ashraf Ghani announced on Sunday to release up to 2000 more Taliban prisoners, a day after the Taliban declared a 3-day Eid ceasefire. Ghani had also announced to suspend operations against the Taliban during the Eid. Javid Faisal, spokesperson for the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), said that a total of 900 Taliban prisoners were freed from the Bagram and other jails on Tuesday. Faisal told reporters in Kabul that the government is ready to continue the ceasefire and expect the same from the Taliban. Taliban had welcomed the release of 900 prisoners as a “good progress” and had announced they would also release a “remarkable number of prisoners soon.” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Daily Times that Taliban have released 347 government prisoners so far. The office of the Afghan National Security Adviser says release of prisoners is aimed to “advance the cause of peace, including the continuation of the bilateral ceasefire and the immediate start of direct negotiations.”