Afghanistan President Ghani announces ceasefire with Taliban until June 20

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced a ceasefire with Taliban insurgents until June 20, coinciding with the end of the Islamic fasting season. He said, however, that fighting against other militant groups, such as Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), would continue, Reuters reports. The Taliban are seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001 at the hands of US-led troops. This ceasefire is an opportunity for the Taliban “to introspect that their violent campaign is not winning them hearts and minds but further alienating,” Ghani said in a message on Twitter after a televised address. The president in February offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group in a proposed political process that he said could lead to talks to end more than 16 years of war.