KABUL, Afghanistan - Nine U.S.-led coalition troops were wounded Thursday after the Taliban used heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenades to ambush a patrol in southern Afghanistan.

A coalition statement says the attack took place near Kandahar city on Wednesday.

The patrol was able to repel the attack using small arms fire.

The statement says none of the injuries are serious and there were no insurgent casualties.

A Canadian military spokesman in Kandahar says it's not believed any Canadian troops were among the wounded.

In the east, police say a roadside bomb on a police vehicle close to the Pakistani border killed an officer and wounded three others.

Taliban attacks against police have increased this year, with over 600 killed in militant attacks.

More than 5,200 people have died this year as a result of fighting, according to an Associated Press count based on official figures, the deadliest year since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

There are currently 2,300 Canadian troops serving in southern Afghanistan, mostly based in Kandahar.