Four would-be suicide bombers were killed as their explosive device went off prematurely in former Taliban stronghold of southern Kandahar province on Friday, Interior Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"A group of four suicide bombers linked to Taliban group were killed by their own explosive device while they were organizing some terrorist attacks in Tora Bagh village, Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, yesterday," the statement said.

The incident took place in a house where a child and two others were also killed.

Taliban militants who largely rely on suicide and roadside bomb attacks against government and Nato-led troops have yet to make comment.