Afghanistan was waiting Monday for a Taliban response to President Ashraf Ghani's proposal of a three-month ceasefire, an offer welcomed by the United States and NATO after nearly 17 years of war.

The Afghan government is willing to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate political party as part of a potential ceasefire agreement with the Islamist militant group, President Ashraf Ghani said yesterday.

At least six people were killed when a suicide bomber drove a motorcycle into a crowd at a political rally in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Sunday, police said.

Ashraf Ghani condemned Sunday the reported massacre of dozens of civilians in a remote area of the war-torn country where the Taliban claimed a victory against military forces.

Kabul city was on lockdown Saturday with armed checkpoints and armoured vehicles patrolling the streets to prevent a repeat of protests that spiralled into street clashes, leaving at least four people dead.

A massive suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Kabul killed at least 27 people Monday and wounded 35 as worshippers gathered for a religious ceremony, officials said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Afghanistan for the second time in six months this weekend, on a one-day visit to inaugurate a dam with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, India's foreign ministry said Thursday.

Six Afghan Taliban inmates on death row were hanged on Sunday, government sources said, in the first set of executions endorsed by President Ashraf Ghani since he came to power in 2014.