NATO says coalition troops killed at least 40 suspected Taleban militants in southern Afghanistan overnight.
Officials say one coalition soldier also died in the fighting in Panjwayi district. They say the operation destroyed a bomb factory and a weapons cache. More than 320 militants have been killed in the latest NATO offensive in the past week.
In Kabul, security was tight for a ceremony with President Hamid Karzai to honor an anti-Taleban guerrilla leader Ahmed Shah Massoud killed five years ago.
Meanwhile, NATO officials met in Poland to discuss measures to boost the force in Afghanistan. Canadian General Ray Henault says officials are pleased with anti-Taleban efforts in the north and west, but he said more should be done in southern Afghanistan.
NATO officials have asked member nations for an additional 2,000 soldiers and more military equipment.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.
