KABUL, Afghanistan, November 14, SPA -- U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces clashed with militants in southern Afghanistan and called in air strikes that killed dozens of insurgents, a coalition spokesman said Wednesday. The NATO-led force, meanwhile, said the number of attacksby militants on remote government facilities have droppedby half this year compared with 2006. Insurgents attacked the joint force with small-arms androcket-propelled grenades in Deh Rawood district, inUruzgan province on Tuesday, before fleeing into a civilianhome, the coalition said in a statement according to the Associated Press. «Shortly after the combined force determined the enemy'spositions, four separate precision air strikes effectivelyeliminated the insurgents who were trying to reinforce theenemy positions,» the coalition said late Tuesday. Dozens of militants were killed during the operation, saidMaj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman. There were no reports of casualties among coalition andAfghan forces. More than 5,800 people, mostly militants, have died ininsurgency-related violence this year, a record number,according to an Associated Press count based on figuresfrom Western and Afghan officials.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/499795