Image copyright Reuters Image caption Taliban militants often target women in Afghanistan

Five female security staff at Kandahar airport have been killed as they were travelling to work, officials say.

The women - who were in charge of searching female travellers - and their minivan driver died when two gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on their bus.

No-one has admitted the attack.

Women in Afghanistan are often targeted by the Taliban, but a spokesman for the Islamist militant group, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, denied that it had any involvement in the shootings.

Ahmadullah Faizi, the airport's director, said the women had been concerned about their security after receiving death threats from people who disapproved of their career.

Mr Faizi said an investigation was under way but no arrests had been made.

According to the Afghan attorney general's office, there were more than 3,700 cases of violence against women in the first eight months of 2016, and 5,000 cases in 2015.