More than 60 Taliban fighters have been killed in an attack on a Nato outpost in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, local officials say.
Nato confirmed aircraft and ground forces had repelled Tuesday's attack on the Bermal outpost but it could not give any specific casualty details.
The local officials said there were no coalition or civilian casualties.
Separately an Afghan soldier seriously injured three Australian troops after firing on them in Uruzgan province.
Nato is gradually handing security over to Afghans ahead of a full combat pullout by the end of 2014.
'Blind eye'
Mokhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the governor of Paktika, told the BBC: "Between 60 and 70 insurgents attacked a joint Nato-Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) base in Bermal district's Margha area on the border with the Durand line.
"The insurgents were armed with heavy and light weapons. In retaliation, ANSF launched their own attack. After a fierce gun battle and air support from Nato, all of the insurgents were killed.
"There were no civilian, Nato or ANSF casualties.''
Spokesman for the Nato-led Isaf force, Sgt Christopher DeWitt, confirmed the attack and that air support had been used.
Two senior Afghan intelligence officials told the BBC the attack was "very close to Pakistan", adding: "Sixty insurgents carrying so many weapons could have not crossed from Pakistan without the help of Pakistani security forces - it is either that or they turned a blind eye."
Pakistan says it does all it can to halt insurgent activity.
A local police official in Bermal also told the BBC: ''We know for sure that there are foreign fighters among those killed because we listened to their radio chatter, there were Arabic, Chechen, Uzbek and Urdu speakers."
He said the attack was "carried out by the Haqqani network to take revenge for several recent operations, which resulted in the killing and capture of their commanders and fighters."
US and Afghan officials blame the Haqqani network, which is affiliated to the Taliban, for a series of attacks in Kabul and other areas of Afghanistan.
read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15650808
Nato confirmed aircraft and ground forces had repelled Tuesday's attack on the Bermal outpost but it could not give any specific casualty details.
The local officials said there were no coalition or civilian casualties.
Separately an Afghan soldier seriously injured three Australian troops after firing on them in Uruzgan province.
Nato is gradually handing security over to Afghans ahead of a full combat pullout by the end of 2014.
'Blind eye'
Mokhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the governor of Paktika, told the BBC: "Between 60 and 70 insurgents attacked a joint Nato-Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) base in Bermal district's Margha area on the border with the Durand line.
"The insurgents were armed with heavy and light weapons. In retaliation, ANSF launched their own attack. After a fierce gun battle and air support from Nato, all of the insurgents were killed.
"There were no civilian, Nato or ANSF casualties.''
Spokesman for the Nato-led Isaf force, Sgt Christopher DeWitt, confirmed the attack and that air support had been used.
Two senior Afghan intelligence officials told the BBC the attack was "very close to Pakistan", adding: "Sixty insurgents carrying so many weapons could have not crossed from Pakistan without the help of Pakistani security forces - it is either that or they turned a blind eye."
Pakistan says it does all it can to halt insurgent activity.
A local police official in Bermal also told the BBC: ''We know for sure that there are foreign fighters among those killed because we listened to their radio chatter, there were Arabic, Chechen, Uzbek and Urdu speakers."
He said the attack was "carried out by the Haqqani network to take revenge for several recent operations, which resulted in the killing and capture of their commanders and fighters."
US and Afghan officials blame the Haqqani network, which is affiliated to the Taliban, for a series of attacks in Kabul and other areas of Afghanistan.
read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15650808
Washington Time
Kabul Time
London Time
