Kabul, May 10 (TIWN) At least 15 people, mainly civilians, were killed in Afghanistan on Monday, the same day Taliban militants announced a nationwide three-day ceasefire for the upcoming Eid-al0Fitr holidays.

The holidays are due to start either on Wednesday or Thursday depending on the sighting of the new moon, but the latest violence, which officials blamed on the Taliban, cast a pall over the news of any short-lived reduction in violence, reports dpa news agency. 

All Taliban fighters are instructed to cease offensive operations across the country from the first to the third day of Eid-al Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, a Taliban statement published late Sunday read. 

Taliban fighters are prohibited from visiting government-controlled areas or giving "enemy personnel" access to areas controlled by the Islamists.