More than 50 militants were killed in a major Afghan and foreign operation against the Haqqani network in eastern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Friday.

The 48-hour air and ground operation was conducted in the rugged terrain of Paktika province, known to be a hub of activity for the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, on the frontier with Pakistan.

The Haqqani network is thought to have safe havens in Pakistan's lawless border tribal areas.

"In Sar Rowzah district, Paktika province, security forces including Afghan special forces killed more than 50 insurgents during a security clearance of a known Haqqani network foreign fighter encampment site", ISAF said Friday.

It said in a statement that the Haqqani network used the camp as a staging area for fighters brought over the border to carry out attacks across the war-torn country.

Combined international and Afghan forces pushed the insurgents out of the area but were intermittently engaged by them throughout the day, it added.

Officials in Paktika province were unreachable for comment, but the head of the neighbouring Urgun district confirmed heavy fighting between insurgents and combined Afghan and foreign forces in the area.

An AFP reporter in neighbouring Khost province meanwhile witnessed more than 30 missiles fired from the US-run Salerno military base on Thursday night, saying it was more than ever before.

Both NATO forces and insurgents including the Haqqani group have intensified their activities in the war-ravaged country to consolidate their positions as the official transfer of responsibilities to Afghan forces begins.

On Thursday the city of Herat in western Afghanistan became the fifth of seven areas of the country to transition to local security control this week.

The switch comes with US and Afghan officials trying to reach out to the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal as NATO-led troops begin a gradual withdrawal designed to recall all foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.

But the speed of the drawdown and transition has been criticised by experts who say Afghan forces are not ready to take control of security on their own.

More than 150,000 NATO and US forces are currently stationed in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban-led insurgency.

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