U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has hailed the temporary Eid cease-fire in Afghanistan as a “tremendous opportunity” for advancing peace efforts in the country.

“We worked hard to achieve this moment,” Pompeo said Sunday while welcoming the break in Afghan hostilities that have killed and injured hundreds of people in recent weeks.
Pompeo underlined the need for Afghan government and Taliban leaders to desist from escalating violence after Eid and instead expedite a prisoner swap to move urgently to intra-Afghan peace negotiations.
The Taliban insurgency announced the truce just hours before the three-day Eid al-Fitr festivities began Sunday.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has also reciprocated by ordering government forces to cease fighting during the holiday.