ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: Six Afghans who shaved off their beards after the withdrawal of Taliban forces had their noses and ears cut off in a roadside ambush by unidentified gunmen, a report said on Tuesday.

The Afghan Islamic Press said the men were attacked on Sunday on the main road between the eastern city of Jalalabad and Kabul, where four journalists were killed last month.

The area is believed to be infested with bandits and possibly rogue elements of the Taliban militia, which forced men to grow long, untrimmed beards during its five-year reign in Kabul.

Drivers reported seeing seven bodies on the road on Sunday, the Pakistan-based news agency said without elaborating.—AFP