NATO soldiers killed 55 insurgents and wounded 20 in an intense battle in southern Afghanistan yesterday in which one foreign soldier also died.
According to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) war planes were called in to assist troops on the ground during the six-hour sporadic fire-fight in the southern province of Zabul.
It was the second major battle in the area in as many days.
Afghan and ISAF troops killed up to 70 insurgents in neighbouring Uruzgan province on Saturday.
An ISAF soldier was killed and eight wounded in a separate attack in the area.
In another clash ISAF said three of its soldiers were wounded on Sunday when they were attacked by rebels in the volatile Kunar province near the border with Pakistan.
A purported Taliban spokesman reportedly said that fighters with the extremist movement had carried out the attack.
On the eve of his departure as NATO commander, Brigadier General David Fraser accused Taliban fighters of using civilians as "human shields" in suicide bombings.
"We regret any potential civilian casualties that have happened. But in the same token, the Taliban are using people here as human shields," he said.
He described the Taliban attacks as "cowardly".
Mr Fraser has been the commander of about 9,500 NATO forces, primarily British, Canadian and Dutch troops, in southern Afghanistan since 31 July 2006.
He transfers power to Dutch Major General Ton Van Loon tomorrow, who will command six southern provinces for six months.
Mr Fraser said the September offensive called "Operation Medusa" in Kandahar's Panjwayi district has improved security in the region.
NATO has claimed more than 500 purported Taliban fighters were killed in that operation.
But violence is still flaring in Panjwayi.
Last week, fighting between NATO troops and purported Taliban fighters left dozens dead, including between 30 and 80 civilians, according to Afghan officials.
NATO said its initial reports found that 12 civilians and around 70 militants were killed.
Defending the success of NATO troops in southern Afghanistan and the number of civilian causalities, Fraser added:
"We are building an army, we are building a police force, we are building a government structure."