Kabul, Afghanistan ? NATO’s top commander said Friday the alliance likely will expand its Afghan mission by year’s end to include the entire country, including the lawless east where militants killed a coalition soldier in the latest fighting.

The Dutch military said its commandos killed 18 militants in an operation to clear rugged hills near a base for its forces deploying in the insurgency-wracked south, where NATO is preparing to take over the security command by the end of this month.

In recent months the region has witnessed some of the worst fighting since the Taliban was ousted in late 2001. The militants have stepped up suicide attacks and assaults on Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces. More than 800 people, mostly militants, have died in violence nationwide since mid-May.

NATO’s supreme commander, U.S. Gen. James L. Jones, said member nations were expected to approve a plan to expand across Afghanistan at the alliance’s November summit in Latvia.