According to official information, the Badghis province in northwest Afghanistan has agreed on a ceasefire with the radical Islamic Taliban. The agreement is intended to prevent further attacks on the provincial capital Kala-e-Naw by the Islamist insurgents, although Afghan forces are currently regaining control, Provincial Governor Hussamuddin Schams said on Thursday. The cessation of the fire had been negotiated by tribal elders. According to the agreement, the Taliban should withdraw to the outskirts of the city. A Taliban spokesman denied that there had been an agreement on a ceasefire. Nevertheless, the Taliban had left the city to avoid civilian casualties.

The Taliban had advanced into the city a week ago.

For a short time, according to official information, they brought, among other things, the police headquarters under their control and caused panic among the population.

The Taliban have been advancing within Afghanistan for weeks and have already conquered numerous districts.

Withdrawal of foreign troops

According to information from Afghan government circles, the country's army is now concentrating on securing the larger cities, important roads and border posts against the advance of the Islamists.

The Taliban had recently stated that they now control 85 percent of the country.

However, this representation cannot be independently verified and is disputed by the government in Kabul.

This was preceded by the start of the withdrawal of foreign troops.

The United States plans to fully recover its soldiers by August.

The most important air base in Bagram has already been handed over to the Afghan security forces.

From there, numerous attacks against the Taliban and other Islamist groups had been launched during the 20 years of the war in Afghanistan.

The Bundeswehr, which was stationed in Kunduz in the north, ended its mission on June 30 and withdrew the last soldiers.

From 1996 until it was overthrown by US-led troops in 2001, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and massively curtailed human rights, especially women's rights.

The US intervened in Afghanistan at the head of a NATO alliance shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks.