Authorities in Afghanistan ordered an investigation Thursday after a video circulated online that appeared to show a group of Afghan troops desecrating the bodies of Taliban fighters.
The two-minute clip, which quickly went viral on social media, surfaced just days before Kabul and the Taliban are expected to start direct peace talks.
The video, which AFP could not immediately verify, shows a man in military uniform using an axe to smash the heads and faces of what appear to be two dead Taliban fighters.
Other bodies are seen nearby, and the sound of laughter can be heard as a group of men in uniform watch.
The Taliban said the video was filmed in Zabul province in the country's south and that government forces had treated the dead militants "barbarically".
The ministry of defence said it had ordered a probe into the video showing "what appears to be some security forces members acting inappropriately with a number of dead bodies".
"If verified that the violators are members of the ANA (Afghan National Army), they will be dealt with," the ministry said in a statement.
The desecration of corpses in Afghanistan's war has been a recurrent issue, with several videos emerging over the past two decades including one in 2011 showing a group of US marines urinating on three bloodied bodies.
That video sparked outrage around the world and shocked US political and military leaders.
The latest clip comes as Kabul is set to release about 400 Taliban prisoners ahead of peace talks with the insurgents.
Kabul has already freed 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the militants have released around 1,000 Afghan security personnel.
The release of the remaining 400 prisoners has sparked an outcry, as many of them were involved in brutal attacks targeting both Afghans and foreigners.
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