KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 16, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces resumed Sunday in the restive southern province of Helmand, officials said, ending a three-day ceasefire agreed by the warring sides to mark Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The two sides clashed on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, which had seen intense fighting since May 1 after the US military began its final withdrawal from Afghanistan, an Afghan military spokesman and a local official said.
“The Taliban and government forces in Helmand clashed as the ceasefire ended,” Attaullah Afghan, head of the Helmand provincial council, told AFP.