KABUL , Afghanistan ( CNN ) -- Ten French soldiers were killed Tuesday in fighting near the Afghan capital of Kabul after 100 insurgents attacked a patrol , authorities said . French soldiers patrol in Afghanistan in May 2008 . French and NATO authorities confirmed the deaths and said 21 other soldiers were wounded in the fighting in the Sarobi area in Kabul province , about 30 miles northeast of the capital . The clashes began late Monday afternoon and continued into Tuesday , when the casualties occurred , French officials said . French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his `` determination is intact '' to continue `` this battle against terrorism for democracy and liberty . '' `` The cause is just . It is an honor for France and its armies to defend them , '' said Sarkozy , who will travel Tuesday night to Afghanistan , the Defense Ministry said . Last month , nine U.S. soldiers were killed in fighting in eastern Afghanistan . U.S. , British , Canadian and Dutch troops have been engaged in much of the combat in Afghanistan . The United States has been urging other countries in the NATO-led alliance to help ease the burdens of those troops on the front lines . About 1,670 French troops serve in Afghanistan under NATO 's International Security Assistance Force , according to ISAF 's Web site . Before this incident , a total of 12 French troops had died in several incidents during the Afghan war , mostly in combat . As for the latest fighting , NATO said the initial patrol -- which included Afghan forces -- had been `` reinforced with quick reaction forces , close air support and mobile medical teams . '' It said `` a large number of insurgents were killed . '' Gen. Zahir Azimi , an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman , said Tuesday that Afghan army forces rushed to the battle scene soon after the attack took place . He said 27 militants were killed and 14 were wounded in the fighting , and 13 of the bodies were recovered by the Afghan army . He said one of the dead militants was identified as a Pakistani national . The Taliban posted a Web statement saying its forces attacked an `` American '' convoy , killing 20 soldiers and destroying five military tanks . It also said foreign forces later Tuesday bombarded the region and killed five Taliban militants and several civilians . The fighting came after authorities tightened security on Monday in anticipation of militant attacks on the country 's Independence Day . Several suicide bombers struck an American base about 12 miles from the border with Pakistan in Khost province on Tuesday , but U.S. and Afghan forces repelled the onslaught . Seven insurgents were killed in the attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno , including three suicide bombers who blew themselves up after forces from the base encountered them more than 3,000 feet from the base , ISAF said in a statement . U.S. and Afghan troops noticed the approaching militants by their `` special behavior , '' the spokesman said . Helicopters flew in to attack them , the force said . ISAF said it suffered no casualties . Gov . Arsallah Jamal of Khost province said four commandos -- presumably Afghans -- were wounded when the militants struck late Monday . A Taliban spokesman , Zabiullah Mujahid , said 15 suicide bombers with small arms and machine guns entered the base and inflicted heavy casualties -- claims that the NATO-led force and Khost governor dismissed . That attack came after a suicide car bombing outside the same base killed 10 Afghan civilians and wounded 13 others Monday , the U.S. military said . Two other would-be bombers were killed before they could carry out attacks , Jamal said . Afghan forces stopped a second would-be car bomb near the base , performed a controlled detonation and detained a suspect , the NATO-led force said . This comes as a source from the Afghan Defense Ministry , who declined to be named , confirmed that Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani arrived in Kabul on Tuesday morning to meet with Afghan and NATO military officials . In southern Afghanistan , a suicide bomber struck a Canadian foot patrol on Tuesday in the Kandahar province district of Panjwayee , local police said . The bomber and an Afghan interpreter for NATO forces were killed and a NATO soldier and a child were wounded , police said . The attack occurred as troops chatted with villagers in the district 's main bazaar . The Taliban , in a Web statement , said 11 foreign soldiers were killed or wounded in the attack . CNN 's Ben Brumfield and Journalist Farhad Peikar contributed to this report .
NEW : ' This cause is just , ' French President Michel says . NEW : Plans to deploy to Afghanistan Tuesday night . Tuesday : Officials dismiss Taliban claim of French suicide bombers entering base . Two French soldiers killed as fighting flares around base .