KABUL, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Militants killed four policeman in Afghanistan's southern province Kandahar on Thursday, a local police officer said.

    Four policemen were killed as the militants attacked their vehicle in Jalai district at around 11:00 a.m. (0630 GMT), the official in Kandahar told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    He said another policeman was killed as militants targeted his vehicle in Loya Wala area in Kandahar city Wednesday night.

    Also on Wednesday, a UN helicopter crashed in the east Paktia province, killing all 16 persons aboard including two Dutch soldiers.

    Taliban militants have reportedly claimed responsibility for the accident, saying their fighters shot down the chopper.

    Taliban-linked militancy has been on a rise in this country over the past six months. More than 800 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in the past two months. Enditem