Since then they have travelled to other parts of the country, often marching through areas controlled by the Taliban. Their walks have attracted a lot of local support as well as international attention.
A spokesman for the Taliban said the group was behind the attack, which happened two days after another attack on a military checkpoint in the same province killed seven soldiers.
Tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and members °æ»ê»çµ¿Á·¹ß of the security forces, and more than 3,000 international military personnel, have been killed in fighting since the war in the country began in 2001.