Commander Suleiman was a former border police guard in Afghanistan's southeastern Herat province, but more than a year ago he and his men defected to the Taliban.

Now they are changing sides again.

After lengthy negotiations with the local governor, hundreds of Taliban fighters in Herat have laid down their arms.

Al Jazeera's David Chater spoke to Suleiman, who told how he and his men left their mountain hideouts to join into the government lines.