Afghans 'repel big militant attack on border army base'
Afghan forces backed by Nato air power have repelled an assault by more than 300 militants including foreign fighters on an army base close to the Pakistani border, the BBC reported, citing officials.
They say that the fighting took place in south-eastern Afghanistan, close to Pakistan's Waziristan region.
The Nato-led force has not commented on the clashes, although local people told the BBC that its aircraft took part.
Scores of militants from the Haqqani network were killed, officials say.
Officials said as many as 60 militants from the Taliban-linked network were killed, but there is no independent confirmation of this.
Five Afghan National Army soldiers were also killed, six wounded and one taken prisoner, they added.
No militant group has commented on the fighting, but defence ministry officials say those orchestrating the attack were Pakistan-based militants. The target of the attack was an army base in the remote border district of Zirkuk in Paktika province, they said.