?Photo taken on Nov. 17, 2019 shows the family members of loyalists of the Islamic State (IS) group carried by vehicle in Achin district of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. A total of 241 members and loyalists of the Islamic State (IS) group including men, women and children have surrendered to the government in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, said an army statement released here on Saturday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 241 members and loyalists of the Islamic State (IS) group including men, women and children have surrendered to the government in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, said an army statement released here on Saturday.
"A total of 241 Islamic State members and loyalists including 71 men, 63 women and 107 children have surrendered to local authorities in Achin and Mohman Dara districts over the past three days," said the statement.
The former militants have also handed over 67 pieces of weapons to the security forces, the statement said.
This is the largest number of the militants affiliated with the Islamic State outfit to lay down arms and surrender to security forces in the eastern region over the past couple of years, officials said.
The IS group, which is active in Nangarhar and the neighboring Kunar and Nuristan provinces, have yet to make comment on the report.
