16 Taliban militants surrender in western Afghanistan

Taliban fighters attend a surrender ceremony in Kunduz province, north Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2012. Eleven Taliban fighters laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process on Monday in Kunduz province, 250 km north of Kabul. (Xinhua/Sardar)

HERAT, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 Taliban militants surrendered to the government in western Afghan province of Herat, authorities said Tuesday.

"Up to 16 Taliban militants, who were active in Ghoryan district of Herat, handed over their weapons to the government and joined the national peace and reconciliation process Tuesday morning," governor of Herat, Daud Shah Saba, told Xinhua.

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With the former insurgents' surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province with Herat city as its capital, 640 km west of Afghan capital Kabul.

A total of 11 Taliban militants laid down their arms in northern Kunduz province earlier Tuesday.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops have not made any comment yet.

The Afghan government set up a 70-member High Peace Council in the summer of 2010 to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government.

More than 3,500 anti-government insurgents have laid down their arms in Afghanistan over the past year, according to officials.

In an unrelated incident, four soldiers with the Afghan National Army were killed when their patrol was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or roadside bomb in Kushk district in northern Herat city Monday evening, Saba confirmed.

Afghan Taliban has launched massive IED attacks against the NATO and Afghan security force in recent years.

from XINHUA
2012-09-18 19:04:34

Posted in: Afghan National Army, Afghanistan, Herat, Kabul, Kunduz, Taliban