Blasts Heard in Afghan Capital Kabul
A security official said the explosions were caused by rockets fired from outside the city, and some fell near the presidential palace, around embassy compounds and government buildings.
Rockets landed at a time when President Ashraf Ghani was speaking during at an Eid prayer ceremony, two days after he declared a “conditional ceasefire” with the Taliban, Reuters reported.
But the Taliban insurgents, according to two senior commanders, have rejected the three-month ceasefire offer and vowed to continue its attacks against the government and its foreign allies.
“There are groups that continue the violence and with firing of rockets they cannot stop the people of Afghanistan’s development,” Ghani said in response to rocket attacks.
The Taliban on Monday said they would persist with their attacks, militant commanders said, while insurgents ambushed three buses and nearly 200 passengers traveling for a holiday.
Two Taliban commanders said their supreme leader rejected Ghani’s Sunday offer of a three-month ceasefire, beginning with this week’s Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday.
In June, the Taliban observed a government ceasefire over the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival, leading to unprecedented scenes of government soldiers and militants embracing on front lines, and raising hopes for talks.
But one of the Taliban commanders said the June ceasefire had helped US forces, who the Taliban are trying to drive out of the country. Taliban leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada rejected the new offer on the grounds that it too would only help the American-led mission.
“Our leadership feels that they’ll prolong their stay in Afghanistan if we announced a ceasefire now,” a senior Taliban commander, who declined to be identified, said by telephone.
