KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 16 (AFP/Xinhua): Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces resumed Sunday in the restive southern province of Helmand, officials said, ending a three-day ceasefire agreed by the warring sides to mark Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The two sides clashed on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, which had seen intense fighting since May 1 after the US military began its final withdrawal from Afghanistan, an Afghan military spokesman and a local official said.
"The Taliban and government forces in Helmand clashed as the ceasefire ended," Attaullah Afghan, head of the Helmand provincial council, told AFP.
Meanwhile, five militants have been confirmed dead as fighting planes struck a Taliban hideout in Dand-e-Patan district of the eastern Paktia province on Sunday, a statement of the provincial police said.
The Taliban militants, hours after the end of the three-day ceasefire, targeted security checkpoints in Dara-e-Muqbal area of Dand-e-Patan district early Sunday and the security forces' fighting planes in sharp reaction struck the Taliban hideout, killing five insurgents and destroyed their anti-aircraft gun, the statement said.
A dozen more militants sustained injury due to the air raids, the statement further said.
The two sides observed a three-day ceasefire on Eid al-Fitr occasion to enable Afghans celebrate the end of Muslims fasting month which ended late Saturday.
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