Afghan Presiden Ashraf Ghani speaks after casting his vote in the presidential election in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: VCG

Long-delayed peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban appeared back on track Tuesday after President Ashraf Ghani signaled negotiations could start next week and the two foes agreed to a three-day cease-fire.

The truce would start Friday, marking the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, and continue for the duration of the religious holiday.

The Taliban proposed the cease-fire after Ghani described progress in a contentious prisoner exchange that has thrown up numerous hurdles to the resumption of talks.

"To demonstrate the government's commitment to peace, the Islamic Republic will soon complete the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners," Ghani told officials, referring to the number of insurgent inmates the government originally pledged to free under the auspices of a US-Taliban deal in February. 

"With this action, we look forward to the start of direct negotiations with the Taliban in a week's time," Ghani added.

Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that Kabul would observe the cease-fire, but cautioned it did not go far enough.

"The people of Afghanistan demand a lasting cease-fire and the start of direct talks between the Taliban and the government," Sediqqi said.

Kabul's readiness to start talks comes after the Taliban last week indicated they too are prepared to negotiate after the Eid holidays.

Taliban military spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid ordered insurgents "to refrain from carrying out any operation against the enemy during the three days and nights of Eid al-Adha so ... our countrymen would spend the Eid with confidence and joy." But any attack "by the enemy" would be met with force, he added. 

The truce is only the third official respite in Afghanistan's conflict since the war started in 2001, with other cease-fires in June 2018 and May 2020 to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The truces prompted widespread relief across Afghanistan but were short-lived, with the insurgents returning to the battlefields straight afterwards to resume near-daily attacks.

The top US diplomat in Kabul, Ross Wilson, welcomed the cease-fire and voiced hope that the two sides would move quickly to the negotiating table.

"Afghans deserve to celebrate the holiday in peace," he wrote on Twitter.

Under the deal signed by the US and the Taliban in February, all foreign forces are supposed to quit Afghanistan in the coming months in return for several insurgent security pledges.

The deal also stated the Taliban and Kabul should start direct peace talks on March 10, following the completion of the prisoner swap.