Afghan authorities have said NATO killed 14 civilians and injured six more in an air strike against insurgents yesterday.
The authorities in the southern province of Helmand said the dead included women and children.
US Marines in Helmand's Nawzad district called in air support after their base came under attack from small arms fire, the provincial government said in a statement.
'During the air strike, two civilian houses were targeted which killed 14 civilians and six others were wounded,' it said.
The provincial government said the dead included five girls, seven boys and two women.
'ISAF are aware of the reports that civilians were allegedly killed in an ISAF air strike,' said Major Tim James, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
'(The) Regional Command South West has sent a joint assessment team to the area to look into the allegation and they will issue their findings to the press.'
