Afghan soldier is seen during a patrolling on the out skirts of the city of Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, 29 Jun 2008

NATO says its forces, in coordination with the Pakistani military, have beaten back a militant attack on a NATO post in Afghanistan.

A statement from NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday that fighting erupted Monday night in Afghanistan's Khost province.

NATO says the militants fled to Pakistan after NATO and Pakistani troops fired on them with mortars and artillery, and carried out air strikes. It said several militants were killed.

Also in Khost, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said U.S and NATO troops killed 33 militants in the eastern Afghan province Monday with the support of helicopters and a bomber.

Separately in Afghanistan's Zabul province, officials say five Taliban militants died in a clash with police today.

The U.S. and Afghanistan have expressed increasing concern about the buildup of Taliban militants in Pakistan, along the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan's new government has engaged in low-level talks with the militants and recently said it would use military force to stop cross-border attacks.

Afghan, NATO and U.S. troops have been fighting Taliban militants and other rebels in Afghanistan since a U.S.-led invasion removed the Taliban from power in late 2001.