10 Taliban rebels surrender in W. Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan, June 23 (Xinhua-ANI): A total of 10 Taliban rebels surrendered to the government in western Afghan province of Herat on Saturday, a provincial government spokesman said.

"A total of 10 Taliban fighters, including their commander Mullah Aziz Ahmad, have renounced violence and joined the peace and reintegration process in Guzara district on Saturday morning," spokesman Mohiddin Noori told Xinhua.

With the former insurgents' surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province, some 640 km west of capital Kabul , Noori added.

The Taliban insurgent group, which announced the launching of a spring offensive from May 3 against Afghan and NATO forces, has not to make comments yet.

The Afghan government set up a 70-member High Peace Council in the summer of 2010 to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government.

More than 3,700 anti-government insurgents have laid down their arms in Afghanistan since June 2011, according to officials. (Xinhua-ANI)