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Fierce fighting across southern Afghanistan has left at least 26 suspected militants dead, as well as two British and four Afghan soldiers. Two civilians also died.

One of the battles was in Helmand's Musa Qala district, near Sangin, where Afghan and coalition soldiers killed five rebels.

In Uruzgan province, Afghan army and coalition forces raided a suspected enemy compound late Monday, killing 10 extremists.

Two Afghan soldiers and 11 rebels died in clashes in Zabul province.

Afghan authorities also say a suicide car bomber blew himself up near a German convoy in northern Kunduz province, killing two Afghan civilians and wounding eight others.

The blast follows a clash in Helmand province that killed two British and two Afghan soldiers.  Earlier, insurgents killed two Afghan soldiers in another part of the same province.

Coalition forces are conducting their largest anti-Taleban offensive in Afghanistan since ousting the extremist Islamist group from power in 2001.

More than 10,000 coalition and Afghan troops are sweeping southern Afghanistan to attack Taleban safe havens, in response to an upsurge in Taleban-led violence. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.