27 militants surrender in Afghanistan

Twenty seven Afghan militants surrendered to the government Wednesday, the police said.

"Up to 27 armed opponent members handed over their weapons to Baghlan police (in northern Afghanistan) Wednesday morning and renounced violence," provincial police chief Aminullah Amarkhil told Xinhua.

They also brought with them 27 guns, the police official said, adding the former militants were all active in Jilga district of Baghlan province, 160 km north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

With their surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province, the police chief noted.

However, he did not say whether the surrendered men belong to the Taliban insurgent group.

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

Several thousand Taliban have joined the process since 2010.