8 Afghan Taliban militants give up fighting

An eight-member group of Taliban militants gave up fighting and joined the government-backed peace process in Kunar province 185 km East of Kabul on Monday."The group under Mullah Abdul Qadir who were active in Ghazi Abad district over the past couple of years laid down arms and handed eight pieces of weapons to the authorities today," provincial governor Sayed Fazlulah Wahidi told Xinhua.With joining these people in peace process, the security will be further improved in Ghazi Abad and adjoining areas, the governor said.More than 3,500 Taliban insurgents, according to officials, have laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process over the past year, a claim rejected by Taliban outfit as baseless.