Over 100 Afghan militants surrender within 2 days amid clamp-down

A 20-member group of the Taliban fighters has laid down arms and surrendered to local authorities in the eastern Nangarhar province, said a statement of the provincial government.

The former militants who were involved in anti-government activities in the restive Khogiani, Chaparhar and Momandara districts over the past couple of years, according to the statement, have handed over their weapons to local authorities.

Welcoming the surrender and stressing for continued military pressure, Nangarhar's provincial governor Shah Mahmoud Miakhil called upon other Taliban fighters to follow the step.

Meanwhile, 69 militants have surrendered to Afghan government forces in the western Ghor province, amid ongoing military pressure against the armed militants in the mountainous region, provincial governor Ghulam Nasir Khaze said Tuesday.

"The security forces have besieged some 300 armed militants in Shahrak district over the past one week and 69 of them surrendered to the security forces on Monday evening," Khaze told Xinhua.

Khaze also noted that the military pressure would continue until the militants are killed or captured.

Moreover, a 13 member group of Taliban fighters, according to local officials, has surrendered to local authorities in the northern Badakhshan province over the past two days.