40 rebels surrender in Pakistan

"A total of 40 Bugti tribesmen including five of their commanders have surrendered with weapons and explosives in the town of Sui," the region's administrator Abdus Samad Lasi told AFP.

"They surrendered unconditionally," he added.

The government was considering the offer of an amnesty to those fighting for tribal chief Nawab Akbar Bugti who were not wanted for laying landmines and attacks on security forces and government installations, Lasi said.

The rebels have been waging a sporadic revolt in recent years in sparsely populated Baluchistan to win more political rights and a greater share of profits from the region's rich natural resources.

The government launched a fresh crackdown in Baluchistan after militants fired rockets in the town of Kohlu during a visit by President Pervez Musharraf last December.