At least 23 members of the Afghan security forces have been killed and dozens more were wounded in multiple Taliban attacks on the first day of Ramadan.

The attacks were carried out in Balkh, Badakhshan, Logar, Baghlan and Takhar provinces.

Ten soldiers were killed in Balkh, three in Logar, six in Baghlan, one in Takhar and three in Badakhshan.

Religious scholars said that the continuation of war in Afghanistan, particularly during Ramadan, is against Islamic principles.

Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR), in separate messages for Ramandan called on the Taliban to stop war and agree to a ceasefire.

“I call on all sides in Afghanistan to stop the violence in the month of Ramadan and work for a peaceful settlement,” tweeted Abdullah.

“On the occasion of Ramadan, I call on the Taliban group to stop war, violence and enmity with the people, I once again call on the Taliban to honor the voice of the Afghan people for lasting ceasefire,” said Ghani.

Latest incidents:

On Tuesday at least three civilians were killed and 24 were wounded--18 civilians and six police--in a car bomb explosion in PD1 of Farah city, Taj Mohammad Jahed, the governor of Farah, told TOLOnews.

"There is fear the casualties will rise," he said.

At least 10 members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) were killed and three more were wounded in a Taliban attack in the northern province of Balkh on Monday night, local sources said on Tuesday.

The attack took place on an outpost in Sar Asyab village of the Chimtal district of Balkh province, the sources said, adding that “five other security force members were taken hostage by the Taliban.”

Local officials have not commented on the attack.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The 209 Shaheen Army Corps confirmed the death of 5 soldiers.

Security officials said that 7 Taliban fighters were also eliminated.

“War and fratricide is enough, every single day we see casualties among civilians and military personnel, there is sorrow in every home,” said Jawed, a resident in Balkh.

“At least stop the killing and bloodshed in the month of Ramadan so that we can live in peace,” said Jan Agha, a resident in Balkh.

“Taliban offensives and plans were thwarted in the past 24 hours, the security forces are in a better position on the battlefield,” said Fawad Aman, a deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

“The Taliban must agree to a ceasefire with the government so that Afghans can live in peace at least this month,” said Hedayatullah Hamidi, a resident in Nangarhar.

“How long will this war and violence go on, we want peace now,” said a resident in Kabul Khair Mohammad.

Meanwhile, the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) on Monday called on the warring parties in Afghanistan to end violence as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is approaching.

Quoted by Anadolu News Agency, the IUMS Secretary-General Ali al-Qaradaghi in a statement called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to let the Afghan people perform their rituals and prayers during Ramadan without fighting and violence.

"IUMS urges [the warring parties] to achieve a comprehensive and fair reconciliation based on the teachings of the Quran, prophetic principles and references of the Muslim scholars," al-Qaradaghi said.

He said that IUMS holds the Afghan government and Taliban responsible for maintaining security in Afghanistan as "they are responsible in front of Almighty Allah, so they have to seek the good for the Muslim [Afghan] people."

Based on the statistics by the Ministry of Interior, in the past three weeks, Afghanistan witnessed 1,400 security incidents and Taliban attacks in which 60 civilians were killed and 164 more were wounded including women and children.

But the Taliban has denied its involvement.