US conducts first air strikes against Taliban since Afghan ceasefire ends

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US conducted its first air strikes against the Taliban since a rare ceasefire between the insurgents and Afghan forces ended more than a week ago, the US military said Friday. The two assaults took place on Thursday and Friday in separate provinces in Afghanistan, spokesman Sonny Leggett said on his Twitter account. “These were the 1st US airstrikes against (the Taliban) since the start of the Eid ceasefire,” he wrote. “We reiterate: All sides must reduce violence to allow the peace process to take hold,” he added. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban. The Taliban announced a surprise three-day ceasefire with Afghan forces that ended on May 26 to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. There has since been an overall drop in violence across the country, with the Afghan government saying it is ready to start the long-delayed peace talks with the insurgents. Washington signed a landmark deal with the Taliban in February, in which it pledged to withdraw all US troops in return for security guarantees.