Afghan officials say suspected Taleban militants have killed five Afghan security men in separate attacks in the south of the country.

In one incident, a roadside bomb killed three Afghan troops Thursday in Ghazni province. In the other attack, officials say Taleban rebels shot dead two Afghan policemen in Kandahar province late Wednesday.

Another roadside bomb blast wounded four coalition troops Wednesday in the southern province of Zabul. A coalition official says the four soldiers were not seriously wounded and were likely to be released from a hospital.

But, Afghan officials say they prevented a bomb attack Thursday in southern province of Zabul, where police caught a donkey laden with explosives. They say a man was detained after he walked the donkey into the town of Qalat from the surrounding countryside.