KABUL (AP) – Clashes in northern Afghanistan killed 12 insurgents and one Afghan soldier, the government said Thursday.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that Wednesday’s fighting spanned three villages in Baghlan province.

Provincial police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Sayedkhail said a combined international and Afghan force fought Taliban gunmen over the course of the day, eventually routing the militants from the area.

Meanwhile, NATO said its troops battled insurgents in western Baghdis on Wednesday. The international military coalition said Afghan and NATO forces “killed and wounded a significant number of insurgents,” but did not give figures. No Afghan or NATO troops were killed, it said in a statement.