HERAT CITY, July 20 (Pajhwok Afghan News): About 16 dissidents, including two former local Taliban commanders abandoned violence and joined government in the western Farah province under the campaign of National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), officials said.Hazrat Mohammad Sharif Mujaddedi, chief of the NRC in western province, told Pajhwok Afghan News they did not want to disclose identity of the dissidents for security reasons. He said the Taliban fighters decided to shun violence and support Karzai's administration by mediation of the local elders.
He said the arms surrendered by the dissidents were included machineguns, 25 hand grenades and some other ammunition.