Kandahar police spokesman Ahmed Durrani says villagers found the bodies today. He said the men were involved in building police compounds and checkpoints. Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, is racked by a stubborn insurgency.
Meanwhile, an official in northern Afghanistan says a suicide bomber attacked a convoy carrying a deputy provincial governor, killing a civilian.
Balk provincial police spokesman Sher Jan Durrani says the deputy governor was unhurt in today's attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either attack, but the Taliban have previously targeted both officials and contractors, warning Afghans against working for the government.