"The commanders are allowed to respond if the Afghan forces are subject to attacks by the Taliban*. The ceasefire does not mean that we should not protect ourselves," Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak said, as quoted by the Afghan 1TV channel.
The interior minister went on saying that the country's authorities welcomed the Taliban's truce and expressed hope that it would be extended.
The announcement precedes a three-day truce declared by the Taliban in connection with the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday, celebrated by Muslims on June 15.
READ MORE: Taliban Vows 'Bright Future' for Afghanistan When US Troops Leave
However, on the first day of the ceasefire, the Taliban carried out an attack in Afghanistan's central Ghazni province.
Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security situation due to the simmering militant insurgency, including that of Taliban and the Daesh* terrorist groups.
*Taliban and Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) are terrorist groups banned in Russia
