KABUL, July 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Suspected Taliban in a violent attack set ablaze a police van and took away 15 policemen along with two vehicles in southern Helmand province Friday, an official said Saturday.

    "Taliban ambushed a three-vehicle convoy of border police on Desho-Lashkargah highway yesterday, destroyed a vehicle and took away 15 policemen including a commander along with two vehicles," district chief of Disho Hajji Abdul Rahim told Xinhua.

    He added that he was unaware of the fate of the abducted policemen.

    In the meantime, Taliban spokesman Mullah Abdul Latif Hakimi claimed that Taliban fighters had killed seven of their captives while holding the remaining eight in an unknown location.

    Remnants of the former fundamentalist regime, who have intensified their activities since early spring in a similar attack on police force, executed eight policemen including the police chief of Mian Nashin district of Kandahar in mid last month.Enditem