The attacks come on the heels of a rare three-day truce during the Eid al Fitr holiday that ended on Tuesday night.
US and NATO officials said that US troop strength in Afghanistan is down to nearly 8,600, well ahead of a schedule agreed with Taliban in late February, in part because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump says his country should no longer be a police force in Afghanistan after 19 years, calling for troop withdrawal, which according to reports is considerably ahead of schedule.
There is cause for cautious optimism so long as troublesome elements within the government and the Taliban are not allowed to derail the process.
Authorities release prisoners from across the country, with approximately 600 of them from notorious Bagram jail near capital Kabul, following insurgents' three-day ceasefire to mark Eid al Fitr.
Kabul plans to free up to 2,000 Taliban inmates as a "goodwill gesture" in response to insurgents' limited ceasefire during festival marking the end of the month of fasting.
Afghan President Ghani said the government was ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban after accepting their offer of a three-day truce over the Eid al Fitr holiday starting Sunday that marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Many countries have closed mosques to the public, making it impossible for worshippers to hold the traditional congregational prayers that are part of Eid al Fitr celebrations.
The ceasefire which begins Sunday was first announced by the Taliban, then welcomed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Some 12,000 American soldiers have been deployed to train and aid the Afghan National Security Forces, costing Washington about $4 billion annually to keep Afghanistan's military in fighting form.
In a separate incident north of the capital Kabul, unidentified gunmen opened fire on worshippers offering evening prayers at a mosque, killing at least seven people and wounding 12, police said.
Eradicating terror from Afghanistan remains the top priority, but all sides must now agree on methods.
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