An Afghan official says the Taliban have shot and killed three people in western Farah province.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, says the attack unfolded when a group of Taliban fighters stopped a bus travelling in the Bala Buluk district on Thursday.

The Taliban searched the bus and spotted three members of the Afghan security forces. The insurgents then seized the three, took them of the bus and killed them, leaving their bodies by the road.

Mheri says the authorities have deployed security forces to patrol the highway around the clock for the safety of travelers.

The Taliban have so far not claimed responsibility for the attack or made any statements about it.