Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 deceMber 2019

Taliban council agrees to cease-fire in Afghanistan

By RAHIM FAIEZ a three-day truce in June
Associated Press 2018 over the Eid al-Fitr holi-
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) day.
— The Taliban said Satur- The current cease-fire pro-
day they have agreed to posal would last a week to
a temporary cease-fire na- 10 days. During that time,
tionwide. It provides a win- a peace deal with the
dow during which a peace United States would then
agreement with the United be signed, the Taliban of-
States could be signed. ficials said. Talks between
A peace deal would allow Afghans on both sides of
Washington to bring home the conflict would follow to
its troops from Afghani- decide on the shape of a
stan and end its 18-year post-war Afghanistan.
military engagement there, The Taliban shura, or ruling
America’s longest. The U.S. council, is currently debat-
wants any deal to include ing whether to accept the
a promise from the Taliban U.S. cease-fire proposal, the
that Afghanistan would not Taliban officials said. The
used as a base by terrorist officials spoke on condi-
groups. The U.S. currently tion of anonymity because
has an estimated 12,000 In this Dec. 25, 2019, file photo, an Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains they were not authorized
troops in Afghanistan. of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Goble, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. to speak to the media, but
The Taliban chief must ap- Associated Press were familiar with the on-
prove the agreement but media. THIS IS A BREAKING a spokesman for the gov- sponsibility for the attack. going U.S.-Taliban negotia-
that is expected. NEWS UPDATE. AP’s previ- ernor of Takhar province, The attack came even as tions.
The duration of the cease- ous story is below. where the attack took Taliban officials have told On Monday, an American
fire was not specified but it A Taliban attack in northern place late Saturday. The Associated Press that soldier was killed in com-
is being suggested it would Afghanistan killed at least Local Afghan militias com- a temporary nationwide bat in the northern Kun-
last for 10 days 17 local militiamen, an Af- monly operate in remote cease-fire may be in the duz province. The Taliban
The Taliban officials familiar ghan official said Sunday. areas, and are under the works. claimed they were behind
with the negotiations spoke The attack apparently tar- command of either the de- The Taliban have previ- a fatal roadside bomb-
on condition of anonym- geted a local militia com- fense or interior ministries. ously refused all offers of ing that targeted Ameri-
ity because they were not mander who escaped un- Taliban spokesman Zabi- a ceasefire by the Afghan can and Afghan forces in
authorized to talk to the harmed, said Jawad Hajri, hullah Mujahid claimed re- government, except for Kunduz.q

Missile attack kills 10 at military parade in Yemen’s south

By AHMED AL-HAJ The explosion took place Yemen’s internationally
Associated Press while the separatists, recognized government,
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — known as the Resistance which is more closely allied
A ballistic missile ripped Forces, were finishing a with Saudi Arabia. Cracks
through a military parade parade for new recruits at in the anti-Houthi bloc
for a Yemeni southern a soccer field in the capi- have widened over the
separatist group that’s tal of Dhale province, al- past several months.
backed by the United Arab Shoebi told The Associated Footage circulated on-
Emirates, killing at least six Press. line of Sunday’s attack
troops and four children, The STC is allied with the shows a hole in a stage at

In this photo provided by southern separatist forces in Yemen, a spokesman said Sunday. Saudi-led coalition that’s the edge of the field, ap-
known as Resistance Force, a crowd of people stand around Maged al-Shoebi, a been fighting Yemen’s parently from an explo-
a crater created by a missile attack on a military parade in spokesman for the group, Houthi rebels. But the sion, while other footage
Dhale, Yemen Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. blamed Houthi rebels for UAE-backed southerners showed dead bodies on
Associated Press the attack. are currently at odds with the ground.q