KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Taliban rebels have ambushed a police convoy in southern Afghanistan, taking at least 10 officers and a district police chief captive, a senior official said Saturday.

The attack occurred Thursday as the police were traveling on a road north from Kandahar to the district of Miana Shien district, about 60 miles northeast of Kandahar, said deputy provincial police chief Gen. Salim Khan.

&#34They fought for two hours,&#34 said Khan. &#34We have tried to reach our men by satellite phone, but they are not responding.&#34

Khan said the men are all believed to have been captured.

He denied reports that dozens of Taliban later attacked the capital of Miana Shien, which goes by the same name, or that the town was under Taliban control.

&#34The town is in our control and there was no attack,&#34 he said.

There has been a series of attacks in the district. Last July, suspected Taliban rebels killed the then police chief and burned a government office.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. military officials.