Afghan and coalition troops killed a large number of Taliban fighters today after an insurgent ambush in the south of the country, the US military said.
The clash came as a group of Taliban insurgents ambushed a Afghan-coalition patrol with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Sarsina, in the south-central province of Uruzgan, it was reported.
The insurgents attempted to outflank the troops and moved into a nearby building and trench line, forcing civilians to flee. Troops then pinned down the Taliban fighters and called in air support, the miltary said.
The number of clashes and bomb attacks has risen in Afghanistan by up to 30 per cent this year, according to United Nations estimates.
Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Taliban have shown no let-up in its campaign to oust the pro-Western Afghan government and eject the 50,000 foreign troops from the country.