KABUL: In Afghanistan, 18 people, including security forces personnel, have been killed and twenty-one others wounded in a car bomb explosion in Lugar province.

A local government official said it was a suicide car bomb explosion in a crowded place where people were shopping for Eid-ul-Azha.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement denied responsibility for the bombing.

In Afghanistan, Taliban have announced three-day ceasefire on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha starting from Friday (today).

A spokesman of Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid in a tweet said that Taliban have been directed not to carry out any operation during this period. However, he made it clear that if Taliban fighters come under attack from government forces, they will retaliate.

Meanwhile, the Afghan President’s spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, has welcomed the ceasefire announcement.

NATO has welcomed the ceasefire announcement by the Taliban and Afghan government on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

In a statement, NATO says it is an important step in the Afghan peace process that must lead to the earliest possible start of intra-Afghan negotiations.