HERAT, Afghanistan — President Ashraf Ghani ordered an extension Saturday of the cease-fire with Taliban insurgents, offered to provide medical treatment to injured Taliban fighters and announced that 46 Taliban prisoners had been released Friday as a sign of official goodwill.
Speaking from his palace in a solemn and serene tone, Ghani said his government was ready for “any kind of peace and any kind of talks,” and that he would be willing to discuss all Taliban concerns, including “the future role of international troops” in the country.
Ghani’s dramatic announcement aimed to build on the extraordinary success of the cease-fire’s first day Friday, in which thousands of Taliban fighters poured into cities and towns across the country and joined local civilians and security officials in celebrating the Eid holiday following the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
But even as the president spoke, the positive momentum of Friday’s events was undercut by a bombing in eastern Nangahar province, near a meeting of Taliban and local officials leaving 10 people dead and injured. No group claimed the attack, but there were unconfirmed reports that the bomb was attached to a Taliban military vehicle.
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