Afghanistan has announced a ceasefire with the Taliban, after some of the bloodiest clashes the country has seen in years.

On Sunday (August 19) President Ashraf Ghani made the announcement, saying it was in celebration of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

Afghan forces had ended a large-scale Taliban siege on the central city of Ghazni just days ago.

That struggle exposed how fragile security remains under Ghani's government.

At least 150 soldiers and 95 civilians were killed and U.S.-backed Afghan forces drove out the insurgents, only after five days of fighting.

The latest ceasefire is meant to take effect on Monday, as long as the Taliban agrees to it.

The Taliban, in turn, said it would free hundreds of prisoners to mark the holiday, without giving much detail.

According to Taliban sources, their leaders have provisionally agreed to a four-day truce.

But supreme leader Haibutullah Akhunzada has yet to give his approval.

In June, Ghani offered a similar, ceasefire with the Taliban for two weeks.

At that time, the Taliban observed the ceasefire over the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival, but rejected the government's request to extend it.

Ghani's going for an even longer term this time.

A senior official tells Reuters that Ghani wants the ceasefire to run three months, until the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, which Afghanistan celebrates on November 21st.

Since the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops in 2014, the Taliban has been making slow - but steady gains.

It now controls or contests more than 40 percent of Afghanistan.

Earlier on Sunday, the UN said clashes have killed more than 16 hundred civilians in the first six months of the year.

The highest number in the past decade.