At least four civilians have been shot dead in an insurgent attack on a checkpoint in western Helmand province on Thursday, local officials said.
Provincial spokesman Mohammad Omar Zuwak said that shooting took place when insurgents opened fire on the workers building a security checkpoint in Helmand's Gereshk district.
He says the victims were residents of Zabul province and they had come to Gereshk for work.
The insurgents, believed to be linked to the Taliban, escaped from the area after the attack, he added.
No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the shooting.