Twenty Afghan police have reportedly been killed in a Taleban attack on the home of a local politician in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

The attack was carried out while the policeman ate lunch, the Helmand governor’s spokesman was quoted as saying by the Associated Press agency.

The militants also killed the mother of one policeman, AP reported.

Two Taleban militants were killed and four hurt in the attack, near the town of Shaghzay, a Taleban spokesman said.

Wednesday’s attack took place in a region where Taleban militants have carried out a number of recent strikes against government forces.

The attack came the same day as two Nato soldiers – one of them British – were killed on operations in Afghanistan.