Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Monday said that the only casualties reported across the country over Eid-ul-Fitr were in Nangarhar province, which was targeted in two bombings.   

With both security forces and Taliban respecting the Eid ceasefire, Afghans across the country had a taste of peace. 

However, for Nangarhar, Eid was marred by two suicide bombings – one on Saturday and one on Sunday. 

In Saturday’s explosion, 25 people were killed and in Sunday’s blast, 18 were killed. 

The head of the curative medicine department at the ministry of public health, Muhibullah, said that before the Eid-ul-Fitr ceasefire, hospitals across Afghanistan were treating over 400 victims of war a day. 

“We were treating the victims of war and violence and victims of traffic incidents, but by the grace of Allah, during Eid days, we had no such victims, it was unprecedented and a good thing for us,” said Ghulam Nabi, a surgeon at Wazir Akbar Khan hospital. 

“On average, five to six bodies and 10 to 15 wounded were being transferred to each hospital (every day). But during the three days of ceasefire, this figure dropped to zero based on reports we have from different provicnes,” said Mohibullah, an official from the health ministry. 

Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that battles have resumed in at least nine provinces after the Taliban announced the end of its three-day ceasefire. 

“The Taliban has violated (government’s) ceasefire in at least nine provinces including Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, Ghazni, Uruzgan, Helmand, Farah, Jawzjan and Faryab,” said MoD deputy spokesman Mohammad Radmanish

The government says however that it will continue its ceasefire for another nine days but that security forces can defend themselves if attacked.