Taliban insurgents launched a large-scale attack on an Afghan National Army post in eastern Kunar province on Friday, killing 13 soldiers, officials said.
Casualties among the insurgents are unclear.
According to security officials, scores of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and guns launched a pre-dawn attack on the army post in Kunar's Nari district, attacking from three directions.
"The attackers were heavily armed. We recovered the bodies of 13 of our soldiers. The outpost has been nearly destroyed," an army official told TOLOnews.
The attackers were pushed back after several hours of fighting after the arrival of reinforcements from the Afghan military and police.
At least one Afghan soldier has been severely injured, officials said.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault and said that the militants had seized weapons and ammunition from the remote post.
He added that 15 Afghan national soldiers had been killed.
Kunar province shares a border with Pakistan and has seen ongoing unrest from insurgents on both sides of the border.