Dozens of insurgents were killed during clashes with Afghan and coalition troops that occurred in the eastern and southern provinces of Afghanistan over the past two days, officials informed on Saturday.

Eighteen Taliban fighters died and six were detained Friday in the Dih Yak district of the southern Ghazni province after a fierce firefight with security forces, a provincial police officials said.

The same official said a joint operation was initiated after intelligence reports warned that rebels have intensified their activity in the area and plan a new wave of attacks against security forces.

Coalition aircrafts launched an airstrike against Taliban positions in the eastern Nuristan province late Friday. Three compounds were destroyed and over 20 militants died during the air raid, the US army said.

A search operation followed the raid and a dozen more rebels were detained along with their weapons.

The statement released by the US military said “insurgent leaders have taken refuge in the villages of Pitigal, Shetigal, and Destigal as they travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

“The remoteness of the villages have allowed the extremists to stage attacks on ANSF (Afghan National Security Force) and Coalition forces in lower valleys and retreat to their sanctuary.”

Meanwhile, renewed clashes erupted in the volatile Musa Qala district, Helmand province. At least 25 insurgents were killed by Afghan and coalition soldiers in intense gunbattles which broke out Friday and Saturday in the southern province.

On Saturday, a group of Taliban gunmen ambushed a NATO convoy in the same Helmand province. The foreign troops retaliated and called in air support, as “coalition aircrafts performed precision airstrikes on the compounds, which were positively confirmed as enemy positions.”

During clashes and the airstrike seven insurgents were killed, the NATO-led coalition informed.

The Musa Qala district was once more the scene of fierce clashes late Friday after Taliban fighters attacked an army patrol with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.

Again ground forces and NATO aircrafts opened fire on enemy positions and killed more than 20 rebels, no civilian casualties being reported in the battles.

Thursday, insurgents launched a massive offensive against Afghan and foreign troops in the southern Uruzgan province. At least ten militants lost their lives in the fire exchange, security sources said.

Gunbattles also broke out in the Kandahar province early Saturday and continued until the evening hours, coalition forces being unable to estimate the number of Taliban fighters killed.

The latest reports released by Afghan authorities indicate that more than 4,200 persons died over the past four months in the conflict-ravaged country.