Armed militants attend a surrender ceremony in Jawzjan province, Afghanistan, Oct. 18, 2017. A total of 14 anti-government militants gave up fighting and handed over their weapons to local authorities in the northern Jawzjan province on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Mohammad Jan Aria)
SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 anti-government militants gave up fighting and handed over their weapons to local authorities in the northern Jawzjan province on Wednesday.
"Our door is open for the armed oppositions and I am calling upon all armed insurgents to give up fighting and resume normal life," provincial governor Mawlawi Lutfullah Azizi said at a ceremony to welcome the former fighters.
A 10-member group of Taliban outfit and four militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group in two separate events laid down arms and surrendered to government in Shibergan city Wednesday morning.
Their surrender to the government came amid infighting between Taliban and IS fighters in Qush Tipa district of the restive Jawzjan province.
Infighting between the two rival militant groups have claimed scores of lives besides rendering countless families homeless over the past couple of months.
