Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Ten French soldiers in Afghanistan were killed and 21 were wounded when their convoy came under attack near the capital, Kabul.

The soldiers were caught ``in an extremely violent ambush'' yesterday and were relieved thanks to ``major measures, notably an airlift'' carried out by allied forces, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in an e-mailed statement. He said he will go to Afghanistan today.

``France remains committed to continuing the fight against terrorism,'' Sarkozy said. The French president decided this year to send an extra 700 soldiers to Afghanistan, bringing France's deployment there to 3,000, the Defense Ministry said.

The casualties are France's heaviest since it joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism which ousted the Taliban regime in 2001. The latest toll brings deaths of French soldiers in Afghanistan to 24 since the U.S.-led invasion.

The soldiers, all paratroopers, were in a joint French, Afghan and U.S. patrol, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The Afghan Army reported three wounded and the French Defense Ministry said there was no U.S. casualty.

The ambush occurred on a mountainous road about 40 kilometers east of Kabul and the fight with about 100 Taliban insurgents lasted for more than 12 hours, French Defense Minister Herve Morin said at a press conference in Paris.

The French armed forces chief of staff, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, said a ``senior'' Taliban insurgent was captured in the clash. Speaking at the same Paris press conference, he declined to give the identity of the captive. The Taliban tactics in the battle were ``tougher'' than before, Georgelin said.

NATO has more than 53,000 soldiers in Afghanistan. The U.S. has more than 19,000 troops under NATO command and about 16,000 in an American-led counterterrorism force.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris hfouquet1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 19, 2008 11:40 EDT