At least 115 Taliban insurgents joined the peace process in northern Faryab province on Wednesday, security officials in neighbouring Jawzjan said.
Jawzjan police chief Brig. Gen. Rahmatullah Turkistani told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban group led by Tahir reconciled with the government following an overnight operation by security forces commanded by Gen. Adul Rashid Dostum, the 1st vice-president, in Dasht-e-Laili area of the province.
He said the reconciling insurgents also turned in about 100 different weapons on Wednesday morning in Astana area of Sherin Tagab district of Faryab.
The ex-fighters are to be moved to Jawzjan to join their families and live in residences the government has considered for them in Shiberghan, Jawzjan’s capital.
Turkistani said the former insurgents had been active in Faryab and Aowzjan provinces.
Tahir, the group leader, said they were deceived by the Taliban’s propaganda that fighting against the government was jihad.
“But we saw their destructive activities as against humanity. They destroyed public utilities and killed innocent people.”
Maulvi Mohammad Karim, the Jawzjan peace committee head, said last week another 15 Taliban insurgents also joined peace the process, increasing the number of militants so far reconciled to 850 in Jawzjan.
