Afghan officials say an air strike called in by NATO-led troops in southern Afghanistan killed 12 children and two women, one of the worst civilian death tolls by foreign forces in months.
A U.S. marine base came under fire from insurgents in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, leading the base to call for help from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The Helmland governor's office says the air strike took place on two civilian houses and 14 innocent civilians were killed and six wounded.
It said seven boys, five girls and two women were among the dead.
An ISAF spokesman in Kabul says an assessment team has been sent to the area and would issue its findings shortly.
The NATO air strike comes at a time of high anti-Western sentiment in Afghanistan and days after deadly protests by thousands of people against a night raid by NATO troops in which four people, including two women, were killed.
Twelve people were killed during those violent protests and clashes with police in usually peaceful northern Takhar province and more 80 were wounded.
Nuristan air strike
Separately, 20 Afghan police and 18 civilians were killed on Wednesday in a NATO air strike in north-eastern Afghanistan, in which some 30 Taliban fighters were also killed said the governor of Nuristan province.
The police and civilians were targeted Wednesday after they were mistaken for militants, the governor said.
The BBC reports that Nuristan was the scene of heavy battles last week between the Taliban and Afghan security forces.
ISAF has said it is investigating the allegations but initial results showed civilians were not involved.
In February, four days of joint operations by Afghan and foreign troops killed 64 civilians in the eastern Kunar province, including many women and children.
Under a plan agreed by NATO leaders in Lisbon last year, foreign troops will begin handing over security responsibilities to Afghan troops from July, with a plan to withdraw all combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
