Disarmament in northern Afghanistan yields nearly 200 weapons, UN mission says

Nearly 200 weapons have been collected since the resumption of the disarmament process in northern Afghanistan, the United Nations mission in the country has reported.

According to a spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the disarmament process yielded 140 weapons from the 599th Brigade, including 80 Kalashnikovs and 60 heavy weapons, in the Khulm District of Balkh Province on 24 December.

The armaments collected were generally in good condition, David Singh said yesterday in Kabul. “Gen. Ustad Ata Mohammed supervised the exercise with the participation of key representatives of the other factions,” he added. “All the light weapons will be returned to the weapons depot of Liwa 599 while the heavy weapons will be sent to the weapons depot of the VIIth Army Corps in Mazar-i-Sharif.”

The spokesman said that the participation of General Ustad Ata, as well as Gen. Rashid Dostum’s approval to disarm Faryab province within the next weeks, to be followed by Sari Pul, Samangan and Balkh provinces, were “positive signs.”