Roundup: 14 militants give up fighting, 4 killed in Afghanistan

A total of 14 Taliban militants laid down their weapons and four others were killed in Afghanistan over the past two days, official sources said on Sunday.

In the latest incident, 14 Taliban insurgents gave up fighting and joined the government-backed peace process in the northern Badakhshan province on Sunday, Abdul Wahid Taebi, head of the government-backed peace body in the province, said.

"A total of 14 Taliban militants who were involved in anti- government activities in Tagab district over the past couple of years gave up fighting today and joined the peace process," Taebi, who leads the High Peace Council, told Xinhua.

The former militants also handed over huge quantity of arms and ammunitions, including a piece of rocket propelled grenade, to the police at a ceremony in the provincial capital of Faizabad, the official added.

"My demand from the government is to create job opportunities by launching developing projects in Tagab and adjoin districts to alleviate poverty," said commander of the former fighters, Qari Abdul Hamid.

Taliban militants who are fighting the government and are active in parts of Badakhshan province, have yet made comment.

Meanwhile, units of the police backed by the army have killed four Taliban militants and injured three others during operations across the country since Saturday, Interior Ministry said in a statement.

One more militant was captured during the operations which have been conducted in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Ghazni, Herat, Farah and Helmand provinces over the past 24 hours, it added.

The statement didn't say if there were casualties on security forces. Endi