"I believe we have experienced the worst of this year's fighting" but "we should expect one more enemy effort before winter," Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said during a visit to the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington.

"There are more foreign fighters and Taliban in Afghanistan than in any time in the past few years and they are operating in more provinces than before," Wardak said.

"We are now combating a much stronger and more sophisticated enemy," he said, citing "elaborate preparation, access to better training, plenty of resources and equipment, new tactics, sophisticated planning" displayed by the Taliban.

Saying a more sophisticated enemy requires "a global strategic response," Wardak repeated his call for a joint Afghani-Pakistani and NATO-led coalition force that would target insurgent safe havens on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

"We need to establish a mechanism for practical cross-border cooperation, including strengthening routine links between our military, border security and law enforcement institutions," the minister said.

The proposal was "in the very initial stage" and will need to be developed further, said Wardak, adding: "It will take time."

Given allegations that Pakistan is turning a blind eye to insurgents operating out of the country, a joint force patrolling on both sides of the border would "eliminate all the suspicion there is at the moment."

"It will be a major confidence building (step). Everybody will be fully assured of each other's sincerity," he said.

The proposal, which has yet to be publicly endorsed by the United States or Pakistan, comes as Pakistani leaders have expressed anger over strikes in the country's tribal zone by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces.

The proposed joint border force "will make the question of sovereignty less sensitive," Wardak said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani meanwhile reiterated Wednesday that his country would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty after a series of strikes this month.

The US Defense Department called for combined efforts to tackle the threat posed by insurgents.

"We need collectively if possible to address this threat from the tribal regions," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.

The Pentagon was "encouraged by the recent, far more aggressive military operations that the Pakistanis are taking in the tribal areas," he told a news conference.

As for the joint force endorsed by Kabul, the spokesman added: "If they (Pakistanis) ever were to acquiesce and agree to do joint operations, that would be a good thing."

In New York, Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged the international community on Wednesday to provide more assistance for his country's army and police to enable security forces to take on a greater role in the fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

Such a move could reduce the need for NATO-led troops and decrease civilian casualties, Karzai said, in a reference to coalition operations backed by air strikes that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties.

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