Nearly a dozen policemen and two fighters have been killed in a rebel attack in western Afghanistan, a district governor has said.

"We lost 11 policemen. They were attacked while on a patrol in a village near their headquarters in Salama Dam," Sayed Gul Chishti said on Sunday.

The policemen, responsible for the security of a hydroelectric dam being reconstructed by Indian engineers, were on patrol when they came under attack on Saturday from dozens of rebels in the western province of Herat, Chishti said.

At least 20 more policemen went to the same area on Sunday for a follow-up operation and were surrounded by the attackers, he said.

Rebels blamed

Chishti blamed the attack on rebels loyal to Ghulam Mustafa, a former anti-Soviet rebel commander "who has now joined the Taliban".

Mustafa admitted his men killed the policemen but denied his links to the Taliban, in a telephone interview with the AFP news agency.

"I'm not with the Taliban. We killed 10 policemen. They were the ones attacking us first," the rebel commander told the AFP.

Parts of Afghanistan have been battered by Taliban attacks as the group, who were removed from government in late 2001, are leading a rebellion against the government.

The rebellion, which has grown in recent years, is said to be supported by the al-Qaeda with drug traffickers and other criminals also reportedly benefiting.