Taliban fighters put up stiff resistance on Sunday as Afghan and U.S. forces backed by artillery, jet fighters and attack helicopters continued to hunt hundreds of militants, an official said.

Sgt. Rick, center, and Cpl. Steve from the Canadian 3RCR Battle Group cheer to Afghan children during a patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, Saturday, August 30, 2003. The Canadian troops are part of the NATO-led International Security Force patrolling around the Afghan capital.  [AP]

Khalil Hotak, intelligence chief in the southern province of Zabul where the battle entered its seventh day, said 14 Taliban guerrillas were killed on Saturday, taking the ousted Islamic militia's reported losses since Monday to more than 90.

The U.S. military has confirmed 33 Taliban deaths during the first three days of fighting, which has involved the largest concentration of fighters from the hard-line regime since the movement was driven from power late in 2001. In a separate clash, two U.S. soldiers were killed near their base at Shkin, in the eastern province of Paktika a few miles from the Pakistani border. A third soldier who was wounded was in a stable condition and awaiting evacuation.

A U.S. combat patrol came under fire early on Sunday, and four attackers were killed in the ensuing battle, a U.S. military statement said.

It did not say who the suspected assailants were, but recent attacks on Afghan government forces in Paktika have been blamed on Taliban guerrillas crossing from Pakistan.

In Zabul, Hotak said an unknown number of Taliban were stationed in the Kohi Sero area, the Taliban's main stronghold and the target of bombing by U.S. and allied fighters and heavy artillery fire from infantry forces.

"Fighting has escalated today," Hotak told Reuters from Zabul. "The bombardment has intensified, so has the shelling, but the Taliban are out there and bitterly resisting."

MAJOR OPERATION

Hundreds of Afghan troops backed by several dozen U.S.-led special operations soldiers had overrun Taliban hideouts in various parts of Dai Chopan district since the start of the operation, Hotak added.

The clashes involve up to 1,000 Afghan troops and a similar number of Taliban guerrillas.

Zabul's governor Hafizullah told Reuters late on Saturday six Afghan soldiers died during the whole operation and four injured. Two soldiers from U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan have been injured during hostilities in Zabul and one died of wounds sustained in an accident there.

The clashes in Zabul extend the worst wave of violence in Afghanistan since the Taliban was ousted from power by U.S. air attacks supported by special forces and Afghan ground troops.

Much of the bloodshed has been blamed on the militia, which has declared a "jihad," or holy war on foreign troops, aid organizations and their supporters.

Hafizullah said Taliban holed up in the area of Chinaran had been surrounded, a claim a Taliban official denied.

Mullah Abdul Jabar, recently appointed governor of Zabul by the Taliban, told Reuters early on Sunday by satellite telephone that his forces were easily defending themselves and inflicting heavy casualties on their enemies.

He also said the Taliban had downed a U.S. helicopter on Thursday, and that five U.S. soldiers had been killed in the incident. Hafizullah dismissed the report.

The U.S. military contributes about 10,000 troops to the 12,500-strong force hunting remnants of the Taliban and the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden it once sheltered.

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