PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A key Pakistani militant group behind scores of gun and bomb attacks on Sunday announced a rare cease-fire with security forces during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in Pakistan on Monday amid a surge in violence.
The cease-fire announcement would allow worshippers to attend Eid prayers at mosques and open areas without fear of attacks by militants.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which is a separate group from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, said in a statement it decided to announce a cease-fire on the demand from the Pakistani people.
TTP said its fighters would defend themselves if acted by security forces. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021, when the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years.
This is the second time that TTP has announced a cease-fire, after 2021. That cease-fire ended in 2022. Since then, the Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks, straining ties between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban’s government as Islamabad says most of the TTP leaders are hiding in Afghanistan.
Pakistan also says TTP uses Afghan soil for attacks in Pakistan, a charge that TTP and Kabul deny.
A passenger loads his sheep into train at Lahore Railway Station for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, June. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
ROME (AP) — Charles De Ketelaere scored late and Atalanta returned to the top of Serie A with a 3-2 win over Empoli in the club’s record-extending 11th consecutive league victory.
De Ketelaere scored two goals and African player of the year Ademola Lookman grabbed the other as Atalanta went two points clear of Napoli, which had put the home team under pressure with a 2-1 win over Genoa the day before.
Empoli forward Lorenzo Colombo stunned the hosts with the opener in the 13th minute after a quick throw in caught the Atalanta defense off guard.
Atalanta suffered another blow minutes later when Mateo Retegui had to go off with what looked like a left thigh injury. Nicolo Zaniolo went on for the Italy forward and was booked almost straight away.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side showed no alarm, however, and De Ketelaere equalized with a diving header inside the left post in the 34th.
Lookman then scored his ninth league goal of the season just before the interval after Zaniolo laid off a cross from De Ketelaere.
Sebastiano Esposito pulled one back with a penalty awarded after a VAR check for an innocuous-looking challenge, but De Ketelaere sent the home fans wild in the 86th minute when he fired inside the right post from the edge of the penalty box despite facing three defenders.
Atalanta won the Europa League last season but has never won Serie A. It achieved its highest finish of third place three times under Gasperini.
Paulo Dybala scored twice and set up another goal to get Roma back on track with a comfortable 5-0 win over Parma.
The Argentine playmaker scored an early penalty and pounced on a rebound from Alexis Saelemaekers’ initial shot early in the second half to steer Roma to just its fifth league win of the season.
Saelemaekers scored with a volley after Dybala’s opener, and Leandro Paredes added another penalty in the 74th, awarded after Saelemaekers was shouldered off the ball.
Dybala set up Artem Dovbyk to complete the scoring late.
Roma looked to have finally clicked under Claudio Ranieri, the team’s third coach of the season, when it managed back-to-back wins over Lecce and Sporting Braga in the league and Europa League. But it lost last weekend at promoted Como 2-0.
Also Sunday, Venezia defeated Cagliari 2-1 thanks to Marin Šverko's persistence. The Croatian defender kept going despite the attention of a handful of Cagliari defenders to score what proved to be the winner.
Faltering Juventus visited Monza later Sunday, seeking to end a run of four straight draws.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 22 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 22 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere, right, fights for the ball with Empoli's Giuseppe Pezzella during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Empoli at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Paulo Dybala celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Paulo Dybala scores his side's opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Parma's Woyo Coulibaly, right, takes on Roma's Paulo Dybala during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Paulo Dybala celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Paulo Dybala, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Roma's Paulo Dybala, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Roma and Parma at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
