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17 rebels killed in Afghanistan

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A battle between insurgents and soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force in the Uruzgan province of central Afghanistan ended with 17 insurgents dead and no ISAF casualties Friday night, the ISAF said.

The fight began when an ISAF patrol spotted insurgents placing roadside bombs close to their base, the ISAF said.

"Last night our troops foiled a cowardly attempt by insurgents to kill civilians and soldiers by laying explosive devices on a heavily used road. The troops' decisive response saved lives and eliminated an imminent threat," said ISAF spokesman Maj. Luke Knittig.

The action follows numerous operations in recent times, including Mountain Fury, which is targeting the eastern provinces of Ghazni, Khost, Lowgar, Paktia and Paktika and is being conducted with cooperation from nearby Pakistan, a military statement said.

"Mountain Fury is just one part of a series of coordinated operations placing continuous pressure on Taliban extremists across multiple regions of the country," the statement said.

U.S. military officials say there has been an upsurge in recent weeks of activity by the Taliban, who were overthrown in a U.S.-led invasion after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

They said the resurgence coincided with Pakistan negotiating a truce with pro-Taliban tribal groups in the border region of North Waziristan.

In another large-scale action, 10,000 U.S.-led coalition, NATO and Afghan troops have been fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province in the south. There is also fighting on a smaller scale in Konar province in the northeast.

About 3,000 American and 4,000 Afghan security personnel are involved in the Mountain Fury operation, which includes patrols, shelling and bombs.

The bulk of the U.S. contingent comes from Task Force Spartan, which comprises the 3rd Brigade of the Tenth Mountain Division, U.S. military officials told CNN.

A similar operation called Operation Mountain Lion was launched earlier this year in eastern Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, a NATO spokesman criticized member countries for failing to respond to a call from military commanders for reinforcements in southern Afghanistan. (Watch why NATO's appeal for troops in Afghanistan is so challenging - 2:41)

In total, 37 nations have contributed 20,115 troops to the NATO forces in Afghanistan. (Details)

Meanwhile, two attacks on a base in Khost province killed a coalition soldier and wounded Afghan National Army soldiers and a coalition soldier, the Combined Forces Command in Kabul said Saturday. The command did not identify the coalition soldiers' nationalities.

CNN's Henry Schuster contributed to this report.


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