LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan - Two militants were killed and one was captured when Taliban launched an armed attack on checkpoints in southern Afghan province of Helmand early Tuesday morning, the police said.

"Several militants stormed an Afghan National Police (ANP) checkpoints in Torgodar area of provincial capital Laghkar Gah at around 1:30 am local time. As a result two militants were killed and one was detained," deputy coordinator for provincial police headquarters Ismail Hotak told Xinhua.

He said one policeman was also slightly wounded in the firing in the city, 555 km south of national capital Kabul.

Helmand has been notorious for growing poppy and the Taliban hotbed.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group launched annual rebel offensive in April against Afghan government forces and about 98,000 NATO-led troops stationed in the country.

On Monday night, seven Afghan soldiers and police were killed and 13 civilians were wounded when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was detonated in neighbouring Uruzgan province.