The Afghan security forces stationed in southern Helmand province on Friday said they will continue their military operations against the Taliban if the group rejects the conditional ceasefire announced by President Ashraf Ghani this week.

Colonel Zahir Gul Maqboul, Commander of 4th Regiment of Border Forces in Helmand, said they launched an operation in Nad Ali district 20 days ago and have cleared Naray, Chah-e-Anjir and Babaji villages of Taliban.

“The enemy has always been using people’s houses as their strongholds; therefore, it is difficult for us to target them when they are in people’s houses with children and women,” said Maqboul.

“Government has announced a ceasefire. We ask the Taliban to also announce a ceasefire; otherwise, we are ready to defend the country and fight them,” Mohammad Jan Khpolwak, a border police officer said.

In the last two years security forces and civilians could not commute in Chah-e-Anjeer area in Nad Ali district due to the presence of Taliban, but now the area is cleared of insurgents, an army officer said.

Government forces said lots of facilities including houses and shops have been burnt in the area.

“We kicked off the military operation four or five days ago. We have pushed back the enemy from the area,” Khaksar, an army officer, said.

According to security officials, they have retaken parts of Lashkargah City’s PD4 where government forces and Taliban had heavy clashes two years ago and the area had fallen to the Taliban.

The officials said they want to clear the insecure parts of Lashkargah’s PD4 up to Gereshk district.

Civilians have not suffered any fatalities in the recent weeks of operations and that the areas are safe right now, an army officer said.

Security forces have said they will secure parts of Nad Ali, Gereshk and Garmsir districts in Helmand ahead of the parliamentary elections in October, but since President Ghani’sconditional ceasefire announcement, the intensity of military operations has reportedly decreased.

On August 19, President Ghani announced a conditional ceasefire. He said the ceasefire would start on Monday and end on November 19 – which is three months.

He said the ceasefire would only be implemented if the Taliban respect it.

“As we approach Eid-ul-Adha, and to respect the wishes of different segments of Afghan society including religious scholars, political parties, politicians, women and civil society leaders, youth and members of high peace council in all 34 provinces, and to respect the wishes of the religious scholars of the Islamic world that were gathered in the holy mosques and to respect the wishes of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the custodians of the two-holy mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia, we announce a ceasefire that would take effect from tomorrow, Monday, the day of Arafa, till the day of the birth of the prophet i.e., Milad-un-Nabi, (November 19) provided that the Taliban reciprocate."

Not long after Ghani's announcement, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary-General, welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire.

"I encourage the Taliban to demonstrate their concern for Afghans by respecting it," Stoltenberg tweeted.

Taliban has not officially responded to the conditional ceasefire announced by President Ghani.