Members of Dadullah militant group surrender

KANDAHAR — Ten Afghan militants of the Mullah Dadullah group laid down their arms and joined the Afghan government’s peace and reconciliation process March 14, according to a press release from Kandahar Governor House.

Governor Tooryalai Wesa and other high officials accepted the militants’ surrender in a ceremony at Kandahar Governor House. Wesa honoured the surrendering militants by wrapping turbans on their heads. The ten-member group under Mulvi Azizullah Aagha, was active in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Wesa welcomed the group and asked them to take an active part in the reconstruction and reintegration process in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government is expecting more militants to surrender and take part in the reconstruction process, Wesa said.

Kandahar National Security Chief Gen. Mohammad Naeem Momin said the government will provide security and jobs to those militants who join the peace process.

“The government will be fully responsible to bring them back to normal life,” Momin said. Azizullah said they were members of the Dadullah group and had permission from the Taliban shura to operate all over Afghanistan.

Dadullah, a member of the Taliban shura and a close aide of Afghan Taliban’s chief Mullah Mohammad Omar, was killed in 2007.

“The ongoing war in Afghanistan is not in the interests of the Afghans; that is why we decided to join the peace and reconciliation process and help the Afghan in a positive way,” he said.“The ongoing war in Afghanistan is not in the interests of the Afghans; that is why we decided to join the peace and reconciliation process and help the Afghans in a positive way,” he said.

Azizullah said he will work to convince other militants to join the government.

A 30-member group, under commander Toorjan, surrendered February 21. Toorjan of Arghandab District was an insurgent commander in the Panjwai and Arghandab districts of Kandahar Province. Authorities recently identified him as responsible for violence in nearby Urozgon Province.

About 1,500 Taliban have surrendered in the past two months because of the High Peace Council’s efforts for reconciliation, according to the National Directorate of Security.