KABUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police killed 12 Taliban insurgents and injured 20 others in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, the provincial police chief said on Tuesday.

    Some Taliban militants attacked a police checkpoint in Garmser district on Monday, said Mohammad Nabi Mullahkhil, adding the police fought back, killing 12 enemies and injuring 20 others.

    He said there were no casualties of the police.

    However, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi, said 10 policemen were killed in the conflict, and there were no casualties on Taliban side.

    Helmand has been a hotbed of Taliban insurgents, who clash with Afghan and NATO troops frequently.

    Due to rising Taliban-linked violence this year, Afghanistan has plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed since the Taliban regime was toppled down nearly five years ago.

    Over 2,400 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in this volatile country this year.