Afghan security officials say Taliban militants have hanged five policeman in southern Afghanistan as a public warning to others.
The Uruzgan province police chief, Juma Gul Himat, describing the incident Sunday, said the five policemen had been abducted two months ago and were mutilated before being killed and their bodies hung from trees.
In other developments, a provincial police official, Sayed Agha Saqeb says NATO-led forces killed at least 20 Taliban militants in fighting that began Saturday west of Kandahar. A Taliban spokesman, Yusuf Ahmadi said the Kandahar operation killed only four insurgents, and left many civilians dead.
Recent violence also claimed the lives of two Canadian soldiers and their interpreter.