Afghan peace activists arrived in Kabul June 18 after trekking some 700 kilometers on foot to call for an end to Afghanistan's long internal war. The Helmand Peace Convoy reached the national capital after traveling for almost 40 days from Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold. It began with a group of nine men and picked up around 40 supporters during the journey. The arrival in Kabul followed a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and government forces coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday that ends the holy month of Ramadan. The Kabul government extended its ceasefire by 10 days, but the Taliban said that they would resume their attacks. (RFE/RL [5], TOLO News [7])
Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, saw suicide blasts both June 16 and 17, leaving a collective more than 50 dead. The second targeted a crowd of Taliban fighters, local elders and civilians leaving the governor's compound after attending a special event for Eid. al-Fitr. Although no group claimed responsibility, the blasts were likely the work of ISIS, which has emerged as a rival to the Taliban in Afghanistan. (AFP [8], Radio Australia [9])
