KABUL – The Taliban’s leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada said in an Eidmessage that the group’s fight is to end the presence of US military inAfghanistan.

Akhundzada said the only way to rescue Afghanistan was for the US forcesand, in his words, “other occupying forces” to leave the country, so thatan independent, Islamic, intra-Afghan government “can take root”.

He said the group has “kept the doors of understanding and negotiationsopen” and “appointed the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate as theexclusive avenue of activity in this regard”.

He again called on the US to hold direct talks with the group and said ifUS officials believe in a peaceful resolution, then they must resolve thecrisis through dialogue.

Following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire by the Afghangovernment with the Taliban, the United States on Thursday said it is readyto participate in talks with the Taliban.

Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Senior Director forCentral Asia at the National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, said US cannotact on behalf of Afghan officials in the peace talks with the Taliban, butthey want to participate in the talks.

“The United States is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannotserve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people. Apolitical settlement must be negotiated through a process that isAfghan-led and Afghan-owned,” said Curtis.

President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced a ceasefire with the Talibanfollowing a meeting of Afghanistan Ulema that issued a fatwa against theongoing war and violence in the country.

The ceasefire announcement was warmly welcomed by major allies ofAfghanistan.

After Ghani’s announcement, the Taliban also responded and announced athree-day ceasefire, over Eid, on their part. However, this did not includeforeign forces.