A total of 20 armed militants laid down arms and gave up fighting in the eastern Nangarhar province with Jalalabad as its capital, 120 km east of Kabul on Sunday.

"With joining these people to the peace process, the security situation will be further improved in Shinwar and adjoining districts," deputy to provincial governor, Hanif Gardiwal said in a ceremony to welcome the former anti-government fighters.

The former militants who also handed over their weapons to police on Sunday were active in the mountainous Shinwar district over the past couple of years, the official added.

Taliban militants fighting the government have yet to make comment.

According to Afghan officials, more than 4,000 anti-government militants have laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process over the past one year, a claim spurned by Taliban militants as groundless.