KABUL, March 27: A Taliban commander has surrendered in Afghanistan as part of the government’s reconciliation drive and another has been arrested, the defence ministry said on Sunday. “A Taliban commander Mullah Amanullah surrendered in response to the government’s announcement,” ministry spokesman Mohammed Zahir Azimi said, adding that he handed over his rifle on Saturday. Amanullah was deputy to a frontline Taliban commander identified as Jahad Yar.

Yar died fighting in northern Afghanistan before a US-led military operation toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001.

Azimi said another Taliban commander Abdul Rahman, who was armed with a machine gun, was arrested in Zabul province 340km southwest of Kabul on Saturday. He gave no details.

President Hamid Karzai and US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad have indicated that ordinary Taliban who are not linked to Al Qaeda or wanted for crimes against humanity would be welcome to return home.—AFP