Provincial officials in southwestern Afghanistan have accused the Afghan forces of killing at least a dozen civilians after villagers brought in bodies of victims to protest the alleged incident.
Nimroz provincial council head Baz Mohammad Nasir told RFE/RL that the deaths were a result of Afghan Air Force strikes in the Khashrood district.
The Afghan National Army's 215th Maiwand Corps said it had received reports of civilian casualties and were investigating.
The corps confirmed that Afghan troops with air support had been targeting a Taliban base near a highway in Khashrood.
The Taliban did not immediately comment, but local media have echoed claims of civilian casualties.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has blamed Afghan air forces for a significant number of civilian casualties in the past.
It documented 63 instances of Afghan air strikes resulting in the death of 156 people and injuries to 193 more between January and September.
UNAMA said that represented a considerable year-on-year increase in civilian casualties.