The US-led coalition confirmed the fighting in the southern province of Uruzgan but said only that it killed "a significant amount of insurgents."

"We asked for air support from friendly forces," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP.

"In total as a result of air strikes and ground forces' action, 33 Taliban were killed and their bodies are left at the battlefield."

Defence forces were identifying the bodies, he said, and rebel weapons also littered the site.

The coalition said the fighting began overnight when Taliban tried to ambush a checkpoint in the area, which is in the Charchino district.

There were no indications that civilians were killed in the fighting, the force said in a statement.

International forces in Afghanistan have been severely criticised for heavy civilian losses in operations against the Taliban.

The militants launched an insurgency soon after being driven from power in late 2001 in an invasion led by the United States.