KABUL – An Afghan official says that at least five police officers havebeen killed in a Taliban attack on their patrol in southern Kandaharprovince.

A spokesperson for the provincial chief police in Kandahar says nine otherpolice were wounded in Sunday’s attack in Marouf district near the borderwith Pakistan. The spokesperson, Zia Durrani, says 15 Taliban fighters werekilled and 11 others were wounded in the gunbattle.

Durrani said Monday that the battle lasted several hours afterreinforcements arrived.

A spokesperson for the Taliban, Qari Yussouf Ahmadi, claimed responsibilityfor the attack in Kandahar in a statement sent to media.

The insurgent group routinely targets Afghan officials and security forcesacross the country, though it is more active in southern provinces.