At least 20 suspected insurgents were killed Saturday including several Taliban mid-level leaders during a clearing operation in eastern Afghanistan, NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) said in a statement, DPA reported.
An ISAF patrol was engaged with small arms fire by numerous insurgents in Tagab district in Kapisa province, the statement said.
Ground forces killed numerous attackers, including several Taliban commanders during the battle, in which close air support was also used.
The operation was ongoing and there were no reports of civilian casualties, NATO added.
Separately, the combined forces killed at least five insurgents in three-hour-gunbattle in the same Tagab district on Friday after the joint Afghan and ISAF troops came under heavy fire.
Nearly 150,000 international forces are currently based in the war-torn country, fighting the Taliban insurgency that is now in its ninth year.
Fighting and insurgent attacks have continued throughout the country. Nearly 700 international troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far in 2010, more than in any other year since the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime.
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