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QUETTA, Pakistan, Dec 7 (AFP) - The Taliban began Friday to hand over their weapons in Kandahar after agreeing to surrender their last bastion, Afghanistan's leader-in-waiting, Hamid Karzai, told AFP.

"We have sent two principal commanders to Kandahar to prevent the dispersal of weapons in the city. I believe the transfer has now begun," he said.

He would not put an exact timeframe on the surrender of the Islamic militia's spiritual birthplace, but said he hoped it would be completed "in two or three days."

The handover is part of the terms of the surrender negotiated with Karzai, whose forces have been besieging the city with US support.

The Afghan Islamic Press earlier reported that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had ordered his men to surrender their weapons, after the agreement to hand over control of the city to local commander Mullah Naqibullah.

Karzai also played down talk of a rift with former Kandahar governor Gul Agha, who was said to be angered at the deal which appeared to leave no role for him in a post-Taliban Kandahar.

"It's OK. There was a misunderstanding," Karzai said.

Agha's men claimed to have taken Kandahar airport after the announcement of the Taliban's surrender on Thursday night and said they would advance on the city on Friday.

But Karzai said: "I hope everthing will be fine. Gul Agha is a good Afghan."  

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