A Canadian soldier from the 1st battalion Royal 22nd Regiment C company 7th platoon of the NATO-led coalition takes a position in the stronghold of Panjwaii in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, April 10, 2009.

KABUL, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Afghan troops and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the latest operation against Taliban insurgents in southern Afghan province of Helmand killed 36 insurgents and wounded 18 more on Friday, officials said.

Daud Ahmadi, the spokesman of provincial administration, told Xinhua that the clash erupted in Nad Ali district at 4 a.m. local time Friday (2330 GMT Thursday) when the joint patrol of Afghan and ISAF troops engaged with Taliban militants.

Ahmadi said no casualties were caused on the joint forces while they eliminated 36 insurgents and injured 18 others.

Meantime, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, the purported Taliban spokesman confirmed the clash Friday morning but adding the outfits have killed 10 Afghan soldiers.

Conflicts and Taliban-linked insurgency have left more than 5,000 people, with over 2,000 civilians, dead and the violence is predicted to go up in 2009 as reinforcement of U.S. troops and the upcoming Presidential elections.