Islamabad: Six top Taliban commanders, including former chief of the terror group Hakimullah Mehsud's brother and uncle, along with 30 militants have surrendered to security forces in Pakistan, officials said today.
The rebel leaders laid down arms in Khurram tribal agency on Saturday night after coming back from Afghanistan.
Those surrendered include Ejaz Mehsud and Khair Muhammad Mehsud, brother and uncle of killed Taliban leader Hakimullah. These commanders surrendered with 30 other militants.
"The six commanders are with the security forces and being interrogated," an official said on condition of anonymity. Another official said an initial probe showed that they had fled to Afghanistan after military launched a massive operation in 2014 in North Waziristan which killed over 3,500 militants.
"They were arrested on their return from Afghanistan," he said.
All the surrendered militants have been shifted to the security forces fort in Tull area, another official said.
Pakistan said that militants living in Afghanistan include Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah who succeeded Hakimullah. Hakimullah was killed in a US drone attack in 2013.
