Taliban fighters ambushed a truck full of government soldiers in the southern province of Zabul, killing several, the provincial governor and a Taliban spokesman said Sunday. The sides gave differing death tolls from Saturday's attack. Mohammed Hanif, a Taliban spokesman who contacted The Associated Press by satellite telephone, said 12 government soldiers were killed and that no Taliban fighters had died. Gov. Hafizullah Khan said five soldiers and three Taliban were killed. It was impossible to immediately confirm the number of dead. Khan said the attack occurred in the Dai Chupan district of Zabul province. "Our forces were going to Dai Chupan district when the Taliban ambushed them," Khan said in a satellite telephone interview from southern Kandahar. Hanif said the bodies of the dead government soldiers were left behind, but Taliban attackers took 17 automatic rifles from the vehicle before leaving the scene. He said Abdul Rahim, a former Taliban commander of the border region of Spinboldak, led the attack. Rahim is one of several former Taliban being sought by the Afghan government. In talks with neighbor Pakistan, the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern that Rahim and other former Taliban have found refuge in Pakistan's conservative tribal regions. Attacks against the government soldiers and police have been stepped up in recent weeks. Dozens of police have been ambushed or their police stations attacked by suspected Taliban. There are reports from former Taliban that Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban's leader, has reorganized his religious militia, appointing military commanders to areas of control. Rahim is well-known in the southeastern regions of Afghanistan. Hanif said he is the spokesman for Mullah Dadullah, a one-legged Taliban commander who was well-known during the Islamic militia's rule. Dadullah is believed to be working with Rahim. **PHOTO CAPTION*** An Afghan man stands amongst several TV satellite dishes in downtown Kabul Afghanistan, Saturday Aug 23, 2003. (AP Photo/CP, Tom Hanson)