Afghans welcome week-long reduction of violence

Kabul residents on Saturday welcomed the announcement of a week-long "reduction of violence" between US forces, Afghan forces and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.The agreement, which took effect on Friday, calls for an end to attacks around the country, including roadside bombings, suicide attacks and rocket strikes between the Taliban, Afghan and US forces.

If successfully implemented, it will be followed up by the signing of a peace accord on 29 February, which would wrap up the 18-year war and pave the way for intra-Afghan negotiations and a withdrawal of US troops."We just pray to God that this will result in long-lasting peace in Afghanistan, so we don't witness any more bloodshed," said Kabul resident Mohammad Aslam.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said while the Afghan forces will remain on the defensive and not attack Taliban fighters during the week, their operations against Islamic State, al-Qaida and other terrorist groups will continue.Yet US officials and experts agree that the truce will be difficult to assess and fraught with pitfalls.In a country that has been wracked by violence for more than 18 years, determining if the agreement has been violated will be a tough task.