Some Taliban giving up weapons
Reintegration programmes in Afghanistan have apparently inspired some fighters to surrender their weapons.
Security officials in Afghanistan say Taliban fighters have been surrendering across the country this week.
A new reintegration programme offers financial incentives – as well as clothes and medical attention – to those who give themselves up.
Al Jazeera’s Sue Turton reports from Kabul that fighters have surrendered in Kunduz and Baghdis provinces.
But there are doubts over how many of those joining the scheme are actually members of the Taliban.
Afghan authorities believe that some men are just taking advantage of the reintegration programme.
Prince Ali Seraj, an Afghan political analyst and former presidential candidate, told Al Jazeera that it was difficult to define who exactly was Taliban.
Seraj said that many fighters currently labelled as Taliban are essentially just frustrated Afghan citizens who have practical, rather than ideological, grievances with the goverment.
Regardless, tribal elders at the district level will assess whether the men should be accepted back into their communities.