KABUL, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Twelve Afghan police have surrendered to Taliban fighters in the southern Zabul province, provincial police Chief Noor Mohammad Paktin said Thursday.

    These police deputed to patrol Kabul-Kandahar highway deserted and surrendered to Taliban with a jeep and 10 assault rifles near Zabul's provincial capital Qalat Wednesday morning, Paktin told Xinhua.

    However, he added that the surrendered police were involved in robbery and that in a bid to escape punishment they switched side.

    This is the first time that such an official confirm the desertion of government security personnel in the troubled southern region.

    More than 1,700 people mostly militants have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year. Enditem