16 Taliban surrender in Afghanistan
May 1st, 2012 - 3:41 am ICT by IANS
Kabul, May 1 (IANS) A total of 16 Taliban militants have surrendered before the Afghanistan government and joined its peace process, a government official said.
According to a provincial government spokesman, the militants surrendered in the country’s Nuristan province, 180 km from Kabul.
“Sixteen Taliban insurgents under Qari Abdul Matin (a key Taliban leader) laid down arms and resumed normal life in Nuristan province on Sunday,” Xinhua quoted Mohammad Zarin as saying Monday.
The surrender of Matin and his joining the peace process will help improve security in the mountainous Nuristan province where Taliban insurgents are active, according to government sources.
The Taliban were yet to make any comment.
Over 3,500 Taliban militants have laid down arms and joined the government-backed national reconciliation and peace process over the past year, say government officials.
- 100 Taliban militants give up fighting - Jul 18, 2012
- 25 Taliban killed in Afghanistan - Apr 14, 2012
- 30 Taliban surrender in Afghanistan - Jan 30, 2012
- Over 40 Taliban surrender in Afghanistan - Apr 26, 2012
- 20 Taliban fighters lay down arms - Jan 16, 2012
- 20 Afghan militants lay down arms - Apr 18, 2012
- 18 militants killed in Afghanistan - Sep 18, 2011
- 110 militants surrender in Afghanistan - Aug 25, 2011
- Over 100 Taliban militants surrender in Afghanistan - Nov 04, 2010
- 50 Taliban rebels lay down arms in Afghanistan - Dec 20, 2011
- 50 militants surrender in Afghanistan - Jan 29, 2012
- 11 Taliban killed in Afghanistan - Apr 01, 2012
- 30 Taliban militants surrender in Afghanistan - Jan 12, 2011
- 27 Taliban militants surrender in Afghanistan - Jan 22, 2012
- Six Taliban killed, 19 surrender in Afghanistan - Feb 13, 2012
Tags: abdul matin, afghanistan government, afghanistan kabul, government official, government officials, government sources, government spokesman, insurgents, militants, mohammad, national reconciliation, nuristan province, peace process, provincial government, surrender, taliban, taliban leader, xinhua, zarin