A number of Afghans who travelled on major highways across the country on Friday said that they witnessed tangible peace and security on the roads during the reduction in violence (RIV) plan that started on the February 22.

Noor Akbar Malikzada is an Afghan student who says that he did not dare to travel to the provinces before the RIV period.

“We are here with our friends to have fun,” said Malikzada, who travelled to Jalalabad city from Kabul.

“We hope that this reduction in violence plan leads to a permanent peace in our country,” said Fahim, another student in Jalalabad.

“What do the Taliban want by killing us?" said Mohammad Akram, an Afghan soldier on Kabul-Jalalabad highway.

Despite relative calm during the RIV, there were widespread reports of violence in Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Balkh, Kapisa, Samangan, Zabul, Farah, Ghazni, Logar and Laghman provinces.

According to Afghan government numbers, at least 21 security force members and nine civilians were killed in twelve provinces--and 49 others were wounded--since the start of the reduction in violence plan began on February 22.