Turning to Afghanistan now, where dozens of anti-government militants have joined the government in the country's northern Takhar province.
About 40 rebels including two local commanders joined the provincial government, while many other militants surrendered their arms to police.
Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops remain active in parts of the relatively peaceful Takhar and neighboring Kunduz province.
The militant group has yet to comment on its former fighters switching sides to the government. Elsewhere in southern Afghanistan, four NATO troops were killed in a bomb attack.