Afghan president marks Eid by releasing hundreds of prisoners

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pledged Tuesday to release nearly 900 inmates from prisons across Afghanistan. During an address to the nation for Eid -- the festival marking the end of Ramadan -- Ghani said 887 inmates would be set free.

The president did not say what offences the prisoners had committed or whether they were members of the Taliban. During a peace conference in April, Ghani said he would release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of "goodwill".

It was not clear if those insurgent prisoners were included in the number Ghani gave on Tuesday. Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer.

Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire but there has been no reduction in violence this year. Ghani also said he had accepted an invitation from Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan later this month.

(With inputs from agencies.)