KABUL, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A clash killed 10 Taliban militants and two Afghan policemen in the southern Kandahar province, a local official said Sunday.

    Taliban rebels ambushed a police patrol in Shah Walikot district on Saturday night, and the police returned fire, district chief Abidullah told Xinhua.

    The conflict left 10 Taliban militants and two policemen dead, and two other policemen wounded, he said.

    Due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, over 1,600 persons, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this year.