A civilian was killed and two ex-Taliban rebels were injured in an attack in eastern Afghan province of Kunar, a local official said on Tuesday.

"A total of 11 former-Taliban rebels, who surrendered to the government recently, were traveling along a way in Pachak area of Sarkano district Tuesday afternoon but a group of Taliban insurgents ambushed and opened fire on them," administrative chief of the district, Shah Mahmood, told Xinhua.

He said a civilian passerby was killed and two former-Taliban members were injured in the attack.

The Taliban insurgent group had also in the past attacked former comrades who join the peace and reconciliation process or surrender to government.

The mountainous Kunar and neighboring Nuristan province have been branded as Taliban's hotbed in eastern Afghanistan.

According to Afghan officials, more than 3,000 anti-government militants have laid down arms and joined the government-initiated peace and national reconciliation process last year, but Taliban rejected the statement as groundless.