Five US soldiers who served in Afghanistan have been accused of murdering three Afghans and cutting off fingers and other body parts to keep as trophies, the Seattle Times reported Thursday.

The charging documents released Wednesday say the murders were committed in January, February and May by the soldiers from a brigade based in the US state of Washington.

The soldiers have been court-martialed and face life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted.

The soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan for a year in Kandahar province. They also face charges of using hashish, obstructing justice, possessing human body parts and retaining mortar rounds for personal use, the Seattle Times reported.