An Afghan policeman and a Taliban insurgent were killed and another policeman was wounded when suspected rebels ambushed a police patrol in Afghanistan last night.
The attack in the southern province of Kandahar came a week before Afghans go to the polls in historic parliamentary elections.
Kandahar police chief Abdul Malik said there was a half-hour long exchange of gunfire.
On Friday, Afghan and US forces killed some 30 militants in an operation in neighbouring Helmand province.
Attacks by remnants of the Taliban and by other Islamic militants have increased in the run up to the war-torn country's elections on Sunday.
US-led forces ousted the Taliban after the 11 September 2001 attacks for harbouring al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.
