Up to 18 Taliban rebels renounced violence and surrendered in eastern Afghan province of Kunar on Monday, authorities said.

"An 18-member group of Taliban including their commander named Heydari laid down their arms and joined the government-initiated peace and reintegration process in Kunar earlier Monday," the provincial governor Seyyed Fazlullah Wahidi told Xinhua.

With the former insurgents' surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province with Asadabad city as its capital 185 km east of Kabul, Wahidi added.

The Afghan government set up a 70-member High Peace Council in the summer 2010 to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops have not made any comment yet.