KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- In the deserts of southern Afghanistan the decomposed bodies of a man and a woman believed to be missing Japanese tourists were found, reported BBC News.
The two dead bodies were found shot and lying in an irrigation ditch 4 miles from the main Kabul-Kandahar road.
Norihiro Okuda, the Japanese ambassador in Kabul, has yet to confirm whether the bodies found are those of the two Japanese tourists. The missing tourists, who were said to be junior high school teachers, went to Afghanistan from Pakistan on Aug. 8, a Japanese diplomat said last week.
According to the governor of Kandahar province, Asadullah Khalid, there were no identification papers with the bodies but the man appears to be Japanese. Both victims looked as if they were dead for several days.
The Taliban deny any involvement in the incident.
Southern Afghanistan is a former stronghold of the Taliban regime, which was toppled in 2001. The area is still the scene of militant activities.
