The National Security Council (NSC) on Friday confirmed that the seven-day period of the reduction in violence - which the US and the Taliban have agreed as a pre-condition to signing a peace deal - will begin sharply at 12am-midnight, the morning of Saturday, February 22.

The NSC spokesman Jawed Faisal said that Afghan forces are ready to implement the reduction in violence plan.

"Required guidance has been given to Afghan forces in this respect," Faisal said. "It begins on Saturday at 12am."

He added: "We hope that the Taliban will reduce violence as per the commitments."

The long-awaited and much-debated topic, however, is "vague" to the people as well as to the Afghan security and defense forces, according to analysts who talked to TOLOnews last week. But the Afghan government has begun holding detailed discussions about its implementation, the Presidential Palace said, following President Ghani�s return to Kabul last week from the Munich Security Conference 2020.

Sources familiar with the matter have said that under the seven-day reduction in violence, the Taliban attacks will be reduced significantly: the group will not launch attacks in cities, highways or against US bases or the headquarters of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

There will be no ANDSF offensives under a reduction in violence plan, according to the sources, who said there will also be no Resolute Support offensive operations - but they will support their Afghan counterparts if they are attacked.

A US-Afghan monitoring team will observe the Taliban activity during the seven-day period, according to sources.
Last week, security officials said the Afghan forces are ready to implement a reduction in violence plan.

Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi told TOLOnews that government operations will be stopped on Saturday, although the Afghan forces will remain ready to respond if the Taliban violates the agreement.

Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Thursday that President Ghani, during a meeting with US special envoy Khalilzad - who is in Kabul for the past two days - discussed issues related to the Afghan peace as well as the details on the "significant reduction in violence."

SOURCE: Tolonews

LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/14192

*	NAME
*	COMMENT
4 DIGITS BELOW
*

	Taliban�s new law bans women�s voices and faces
	Western Kabul residents say Taliban has failed to ensure security after bombing
	Formation of the Federalist Assembly of Afghanistan
	Taliban: Afghanistan Does Not Have Formal Border With Pakistan
	Pedram: The Abduction of Hazara and Tajik Women Recalls the Crimes of Abdur Rahman
	Special envoys from G7 countries discuss Afghanistan in London meeting
	UNAMA report: 49 Hazara community members killed in Afghanistan in three months
	Generations of Pakistan and Afghanistan who fell victim to suicide attacks
	UNAMA urges increased protection for Afghanistan�s Hazara community after Kabul attack
	Explosion reported in Kabul , casualties still unknown