About 100 Da’ish-affiliated militants surrendered in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar on Tuesday, a local official confirmed.
“Some 100 Da’ish or IS militants surrendered to officials of Nangarhar General Directorate of Intelligence in provincial capital Jalalabad city Tuesday morning,” Mohammad Bashir, director of Nangarhar GDI office, told reporters.
The militants who surrendered were active in Mohmand Dara, Chaparhar, Kot and Khogiani districts, according to Bashir.
With the former insurgents’ surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in the mountainous province, the official said. The surrendered militants called on fellow Da’ish members to lay down their arms.
The Da’ish group, which has staged several attacks in Nangarhar in recent months, has yet to make comments on the report.
Meanwhile, the United States will resume talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar, addressing among other issues the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The American delegation will be led by the US special representative for Afghanistan, Tom West, for the planned two weeks of discussions, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday.
The two sides will discuss “our vital national interests” which include counterterrorism operations against the militant Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, humanitarian assistance, Afghanistan’s devastated economy, and safe passage out of Afghanistan for US citizens and Afghans who worked for the United States during the 20-year war.
West met two weeks ago in Pakistan with representatives of the Taliban that seized power in August as US forces completed their withdrawal.
A first session between the two sides was held October 9-10 in the Qatari capital Doha, where US diplomats overseeing relations with Afghanistan transferred after the Taliban takeover.
West on Friday reiterated US conditions for the Taliban to receive US financial and diplomatic support: fight terrorism, install an inclusive government, respect the rights of minorities, women and girls, and provide equal access to education and employment.
He said the United States would continue to have dialogue with the Taliban and for now provide only humanitarian aid.
Foreign minister of the Taliban government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, which is not recognised by the international community, called last week in an open letter to the US Congress for the release of Afghan assets frozen by the US.—AFP/Xinhua
