30 Militants Surrender in N. Afghanistan, Pro-Gov't Figure Killed in South
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A total of 30 armed militants laid down their weapons and give up fighting in Baghlan province with Pul-e-Khumri as its capital 160km north of Kabul on Monday.
"These people were active in Jirga and Banu districts and with their surrender the security will be further improved in the province," deputy to provincial police chief Abdul Bashir Rashid said in a ceremony to welcome the former militants.
More than 1,000 militants have laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process over the past one year, the official contended.
Taliban militants have yet to make comment, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, unknown armed men opened fire and killed a pro- government figure and member of the government-backed High Peace Council in Ghazni province with Ghazni city as its capital 125 km south of the national capital Kabul on Monday.
Constituted by government couple of years ago the High Peace Council is a body authorized by the government to contact Taliban militants and encourage them to give up fighting and join the government-initiated peace process and national reconciliation.
"Unknown armed men believed to be Taliban militants opened fire on Abdul Ghani a member of High Peace Council in the provincial capital the Ghazni city and killed him on the spot this morning," a local official told Xinhua but declined to be named, saying authorized officials would brief the media.
According to the official, investigation has been initiated into the case to identify and bring to justice those behind the killing of the High Peace Council member in Ghazni.
