THE bodies of two American and six German doctors have been discovered in northern Afghanistan, a police official said today.

Provincial police chief Aqa Noor Kintoz said the foreigners and one Afghan man were believed to have been killed by armed men in a densely forested part of Badakhshan province, according to the testimony of a sole Afghan survivor.

“The bodies were found in the forest in Kuran wa Minjan district,” he said, referring to an area on the border with Nuristan province, one day’s drive from the provincial capital Faizabad.

A US Embassy spokeswoman said “several” American citizens were believed to be among the dead, found on Friday, but could not give further details.

“(We) are actively working with local authorities and others to learn more about the identities and nationalities of these individuals,” the spokeswoman said.