The body of the kidnapped Indian engineer has been found Wednesday by local police in Afghan southern province of Nimroz, an Afghan official said.

"We have found the body of the Indian engineer in Khashrod district. He was beheaded," Mohammad Hashim, the district chief of Khashrod told Xinhua.

The Indian engineer was lost Saturday in Afghan southern province of Nimruz along with his two guards and one driver. He was from an Indian governmental construction team named Border Road Organization carrying out road construction work in Nimruz.

Taliban militants later claimed responsibility of the kidnapping, and asked the Indian construction company to leave Afghanistan in 48 hours otherwise they would behead the engineer.

On Tuesday Taliban said they killed the engineer since the deadline has been reached and their demand was not accepted. But they released the driver Monday and said he was an innocent person.

About the two bodyguards, Ahamadi said Taliban's high council will decide their fate.

Taliban regime, which has been ousted since late 2001, has for several times kidnapped Indian and Turkish construction workers or engineers for road construction in southern provinces these years. A Briton working for a road construction project was kidnapped and killed by Taliban militants in September in the western Farah province.

More than 1,500 people, with the majority of them Taliban militants, have been killed in the Taliban-linked militancy since the beginning of this year, the bloodiest one after 2001.

Source: Xinhua