Washington: The United States believes that remnants of Afghanistan's toppled Taleban militia plan to abduct and murder foreigners on highways in the North and East of the country, the state department said on April 15.

The alert, contained in a little-publicised notice to Americans from the US Embassy in Kabul, is the third warning Washington has issued this month about possible threats and the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

"The American Embassy has received information that the Taleban may be planning to kidnap and or murder foreigners on the highway between Konduz and Baghlan Provinces, as well as on the Kabul-Jalalabad road," the notice said.

"The proposed plan would have Taleban members dressed as Afghan policemen stop vehicles transporting foreigners and carry out the kidnappings," said the warning.

State department officials released the April 4 notice after weekend news that an Italian tourist had been shot and killed by suspected Taleban in the Southern Afghan province of Zabul last week.

The Italian was the fourth foreigner to be killed in Afghanistan in the past three weeks amid a wave of attacks on foreign and government targets by suspected Taleban and al-Qaida.

The US Embassy issued the notice just three days after deputy state department spokesman Philip Reeker issued a statement expressing concern about the spike in security incidents directed at US forces in Afghanistan, aid agencies and other foreigners.