Taliban blame opposition for breach of cease fire

Dawn
ISLAMABAD, June 4: The Taliban government on Sunday accused opposition guerillas of launching two attacks near Kabul during a cease fire called by both sides to allow a UN-backed vaccination drive against polio.

A Taliban spokesman accused opposition fighters of attacking positions held by the Taliban north of Kabul in Parwan and Gorband provinces.

The spokesman told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that both attacks had been repelled and said the Taliban would continue to honour the cease fire to allow the immunisation to take place.

Tens of thousands of volunteers have been deployed all over the broken central Asian state for a two-day attempt to inoculate 4.5 million children against polio. It is the second of four country-wide campaigns to immunise all Afghan children. The first was in May and the final two will be in October and November.

UN officials said bicycles were being used to transport the volunteers in urban areas while donkeys carrying vaccine packed in ice are being employed in several mountain ranges.-Reuters