Johannesburg, Nov 25 (IANS): The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday announced the arrest of 14 illegal miners who emerged from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein, North West province, after weeks underground in a standoff with police.

According to National Police Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, the arrested illegal miners, all from Mozambique with a 14-year-old boy among them, came to the ground Sunday morning.

Mathe said that contrary to earlier claims that they were trapped underground, the illegal miners, who had been underground for weeks, were just refusing to come out due to fear of arrest, as proved by their resurfacing.

"They chose to come out late at night, thinking police are no more standing static," she said, adding that other illegal miners "ran back" into the mine shaft upon noticing the police presence.

It is believed that over 1,200 illegal miners remain underground, with more than 1,000 resurfacing intermittently in small groups over the past few weeks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the police welcomed a court judgment compelling the government to provide necessary emergency aid to the illegal miners, including water, food, blankets and medical assistance.

Mathe said police would continue monitoring and maintaining a presence outside the mine shaft.

Illegal mining has been rampant in South Africa for years, often involving miners from neighboring countries seeking gold.

The South African government launched the nationwide Operation Vala Umgodi (close the hole) earlier this year to crack down on illegal mining activities.