KABUL: The governor of Afghanistan's Badghis province and the Taliban have agreed to an unofficial ceasefire to stop fighting in the provincial capital of Qala-e-Naw city. However, governor Shams said no written agreement on the ceasefire had been inked and the truce is informal.

"From 10 am. today (July 16), a ceasefire came into effect between Security and Defense Forces and the Taliban group in the provincial capital Qala-e-Naw city," Governor Hasamudin Shams said. "The truce came into effect with the mediation of the elders of Qala-e-Naw city, and I am hopeful the Taliban remain committed to the verbal agreement," the governor added.

Targetting at ending the conflict, the verbal agreement has no timetable, the official said, adding that he is hopeful the truce could turned into a permanent ceasefire. This is the first time that a provincial government and the Taliban have agreed on a ceasefire amid the militant group's advances and capturing more than 120 districts after the start of withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan early May.

The ceasefire comes amid the Taliban's demand for the release of 7,000 prisoners from Afghan government jails and delisting the names of their leaders from the UN blacklist as the precondition for observing a three-month ceasefire with the government.

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