塔利班宣布有限停火
塔利班星期六宣布，开斋节3天期间，在阿富汗全国停止对政府军的攻击行动。开斋节标志着穆斯林斋月的结束。
塔利班的停火正值阿富汗政府星期二开始单方停止打击塔利班的行动一星期。
塔利班的声明说，塔利班领导层已经下令，其武装人员在开斋节期间不得在平民区开会，以便让同胞们和平度过开斋节。但是塔利班誓言将继续在阿富汗打击美国为首的外国联军。
这将是2002年以来塔利班第一次在阿富汗停火。塔利班目前控制或试图控制阿富汗407个区中的将近一半。
阿富汗驻巴基斯坦大使扎克希尔瓦尔立即表示欢迎塔利班的停火。
塔利班在其领袖哈巴图拉·阿坤札达（Haibatullah Akhunzada）发出的停火宣布中说，将释放一些俘虏，但是他们首先要保证不会重新加入阿富汗政府军。
阿富汗总统加尼本星期早些时候命令政府军停止进攻塔利班，鼓励塔利班参加谈判，争取结束已为时17年的冲突。
阿富汗政府的行动受到广泛欢迎，美国保证支持加尼总统的和平姿态。
美国星期四证实，已经邀请邻国巴基斯坦帮助推动阿富汗和平与和解进程，劝说塔利班与喀布尔政府谈判。
Taliban Announces Limited Cease-Fire
The Taliban announced Saturday it will halt offensive operations against government security forces across Afghanistan during three-day festivities of Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The cease-fire coincides with the unilateral weeklong halting of anti-Taliban operations by the Afghan government starting Tuesday.
An insurgent statement said the Taliban leadership has also ordered his fighters not to hold meetings in civilian areas during the holiday period to enable their countrymen peacefully celebrate the festival. But it vowed to continue attacks on U.S.-led foreign troops in the country.
This will be the first time since 2002 that the Islamist insurgency will cease hostilities in Afghanistan where it currently controls or contests nearly half of 407 Afghan districts.
Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal swiftly welcomed the insurgent gesture.
The Taliban in its announcement from its chief Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada, has also said it will release some prisoners after seeking commitments from them that they will not rejoin Afghan forces.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani earlier this week ordered his forces to stop offensive operations against the Taliban to encourage insurgents to come to the table and seek a negotiated end to the 17 year old conflict.
The move has been widely welcomed and the U.S. has promised to honor Ghani’s peace gesture.
Washington confirmed Thursday it has asked neighboring Pakistan to help in facilitating an Afghan peace and reconciliation process by persuading the Taliban to engage in talks with Kabul.
青年党袭击索马里哨所 一名美军士兵丧生
索马里西南地区一座还在建造中的哨所星期五受到与基地组织有联系的激进分子袭击，一名美国特种兵丧生，4人受伤。
袭击事件发生在索马里港口城市基斯马尤以北大约50公里的地方。美国军队在那里帮助索马里政府军和肯尼亚军队建造哨所。美国军方官员说，这是在该地区清剿青年党激进分子的一个数日行动的一部分。
目击者说，美国、索马里和肯尼亚军队在挖沟和设置其它障碍时发生了袭击。他们说，激进分子先引爆了一系列炸弹，然后用重武器和迫击炮向三国军人开火。
美国官员说，尽管发生了袭击，但是索马里和肯尼亚军队完成了哨所的修建，索马里政府将能利用这个哨所把青年党驱赶出这个地区。
这是两年来在索马里丧生的第二名美国军人。
Al Shabab Hits a Somali Outpost, One American Dead
One U.S. special operations soldier is dead and four wounded after al-Qaida linked militants attacked an outpost still under construction Friday in southwestern Somalia.
Friday's attack, about 50 kilometers north of the port city of Kismayo, came as U.S. forces were helping Somali and Kenyan troops construct the outpost, part of a multi-day mission to help clear the area of militants with the al Shabab terror group, according to U.S. military officials.
Witnesses said the attack took place while the U.S. Somali and Kenyan troops were digging trenches and setting up other defenses. They said the militants first set off a series of explosions before targeting the forces with heavy gunfire and mortar rounds
Despite the attack, U.S. officials say the Somali and Kenyan forces were able to complete the outpost, and that the Somali government will be able to use it to push al Shabab from the region.
The death of the U.S. soldier in Somalia is the second in the last two years.
