11 Taliban rebels surrender in Afghanistan

Kabul, October 27: At least 11 Taliban rebels surrendered with arms to the Afghan authorities in the country's Nangarhar province, a source said Sunday. "An 11-member group of armed opponents gave up fighting and handed over their arms to the authorities in Shinwar district Sunday," Malik Nazir, provincial High Peace Council chief, told Xinhua. Peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province with the insurgents' surrender, he added. The Afghan government set up a 70-member High Peace Council and launched the peace and reconciliation process in 2010 to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government. Over the past week, more than 40 Taliban fighters joined the process across the country, officials said.