Afghans take part in a demonstration calling for peace in Nad Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 18, 2019. Hundreds of Afghan people in the restive Nad Ali district of the southern Helmand province staged a peaceful demonstration on Monday and called upon the Taliban fighters to cease fighting and initiate dialogue with the government. The peaceful rally is taking place amid increasing fighting between government forces and Taliban fighters that claims dozens of lives almost every day in the militancy-plagued country. Bearing the banners inscribed with the slogans "We hate war", "We want peace" and "We want national reconciliation" in Afghanistan, demonstrators said that the Afghans have hugely suffered due to the protracted war and it is time for both the Taliban and the government to initiate dialogue and find negotiated settlement to the country's crisis. (Xinhua/Abdul Aziz Safdari)