Bodies of Afghan soldiers discovered today

The bullet-riddled bodies of five government soldiers were found in southern Afghanistan today, a day after they were abducted by suspected Taliban, an Afghan official said.

Troops sent to search for the five Afghan National Army soldiers found their bodies in the Sur Ghogan area of Zabul province, about 240 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul, Zabul Governor Khial Mohammed said.

“We found the bodies and the Taliban took their vehicle,” Mohammed said. “They were all shot in the stomach and chest.”

Officials say the troops were kidnapped on Monday when suspected Taliban stopped their vehicle between Shahjoy and the provincial capital Qalat, on the main road from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar.

A purported spokesman for the Taliban, Abdul Hakim Latifi, said it had taken the men, but also said they were safe and that conditions for their release would be discussed later.