Al Jazeera learned from a security source in Afghanistan that six mortar shells fell near the presidential palace in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and there were no reports of casualties, while international parties welcomed the results of the Afghan talks in Doha.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and others in the vicinity of the palace were forced to stop praying after several explosions were heard, shortly before his speech on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

The sound of missiles, which were fired at about eight in the morning local time, was heard throughout the fortified Green Zone, which includes the presidential palace as well as a number of embassies, including the US embassy.

"Today the enemies of Afghanistan launched missile attacks in various parts of the city of Kabul," Interior Ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai said.

"All the missiles hit three different parts (of the capital), and based on our initial information, there were no casualties.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Zeibaq said that the missiles were fired during the Eid prayer, in which a man in a military uniform led the worshipers and in the presence of President Ghani and senior officials.

He stated that President Ashraf Ghani said in a speech after the Eid prayer, "They wanted us to leave... Did you see anyone leaving from here?"

Ghani emphasized that the Taliban had lost its national and religious legitimacy, and he also harshly criticized Pakistan and said that the Taliban is finding a safe haven there.

He added that the international media portrays the situation in Afghanistan in a way that suggests that the government will fall, and this is contrary to reality, he said.

Al-Qasr missiles have previously been targeted several times, the last of which was in December.

The operation coincides with a massive offensive launched by the Taliban across the country at a time when foreign forces are moving forward with their withdrawal scheduled to be completed by the end of next August.


Welcome to the Doha talks

The United Nations and Washington welcomed the results of the talks held in Doha between the Afghan government and the Taliban movement.

Early Tuesday morning, UN Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the joint declaration between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Doha, and urged them to fulfill their commitment to accelerate negotiations.

He added that Guterres stresses the importance of reaching a settlement that meets the needs of the Afghans, and calls on the international community to unite its efforts to support peace in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, a statement by US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington welcomes the results of the Afghan talks in Doha, and calls on the Taliban movement to abide by the joint declaration to protect civilians and infrastructure in Afghanistan.

In turn, the US envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, considered that the Doha meeting was a "positive step" towards ending the war in the country, and added via his Twitter account, "But more must be done urgently."

"Credible reports of atrocities are emerging. The commitment of the parties to prevent civilian casualties is a start, but only a negotiated political settlement can end this violence."

During a meeting with Al-Jazeera, Muhammad Naim, spokesman for the Taliban's political office and a member of the movement's delegation to the Doha negotiations, said that the talks were a good opportunity to bring views closer, stressing that the meetings of the movement's delegation with the government delegation will continue.

In the same context, the head of the National Reconciliation Committee in Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, called on the two sides of the negotiations to show flexibility, and told Al Jazeera that the two parties had not yet agreed on a specific road map to stop the fighting.

This comes after the conclusion of a new round of Doha negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, where the two parties announced an agreement to expedite the negotiations in order to reach a just solution and a settlement that meets the interests of the Afghans in accordance with Islamic principles.

The Taliban will release dozens

On the other hand, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the movement decided to release dozens of Afghan government forces in various states of the country on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

In previous holidays, the Taliban announced a temporary ceasefire, and said they wanted to let Afghan citizens spend it in peace.

On Monday, the United States, along with 14 foreign diplomatic missions in Kabul, signed a joint statement urging the Taliban to stop the ongoing military attacks across the country, saying, "On Eid al-Adha, the Taliban must lay down their arms forever and show the world their commitment to the peace process."

And the Afghan Acting Defense Minister, General Bassemullah Mohammadi, warned that he would not allow the Taliban to impose its goals on the people by force by continuing its military campaign.

"The support of the people, as evidenced by the joining of the forces of the popular uprising to the Afghan forces, has raised the morale of the security forces and in some cases lowered the threat level," Mohammadi said.

For its part, the government said that the centers of Dara-e-Sof district in Samangan and Garmsir in Helmand had been retaken by the Afghan National Defense Forces, while sources reported that Malastan district of Ghazni, Najrab in Kapisa and Dhrod district of Uruzgan had fallen to the Taliban.


Kabul Airport Insurance

In another context, the Ministry of Defense (Pentagon) announced that it is putting the final touches with the Turkish side on securing Kabul International Airport.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country intends to hold talks with the Taliban over the movement's refusal to allow Ankara to run Kabul airport after the withdrawal of US forces.

The Turkish and US Presidents Joe Biden discussed this issue in a bilateral meeting that brought them together on the sidelines of the NATO summit held last month.