Polish troops on patrol in southern Afghanistan have found a newborn baby abandoned at the side of a road.

The girl, wrapped in a towel, was discovered by soldiers who were checking the safety of a route near their Waghez military base, according to Defence Ministry spokesman Janusz Walczak.

The soldiers were first suspicious about the bundle in a country where hidden roadside bombs are prevalent.

No other people were found within a one-mile radius, and it was unclear who had left the baby there and why.

The entire column took the infant to a medical centre at the base, and soldiers were sent to buy baby formula, a bottle and a bib.

The troops named the little girl Pola, after Poland, and planned to give her to Afghan authorities.