Afghan civilians die in air raid

Three civilians and four militants have been killed in an air strike by US-led forces in central Afghanistan, the US military says.

The raid, on a suspected insurgent camp, took place on Friday during a two-day offensive in Uruzgan province.

The civilians - a man, a woman and a child - were killed when the warplanes attacked the camp, the US military said in a statement issued on Saturday.

Two children wounded in the operation were taken to Kandahar for treatment.

'Stoking insurgency'

"All possible efforts are taken to prevent non-combatant injuries and deaths," the US military said in a statement issued from their base at Bagram.

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Afghanistan

The statement did not specify which air force was involved in the air strike. Correspondents say the majority of aircraft in the coalition forces are American.

Human rights groups say civilian deaths during US-led military operations in Afghanistan stoke the country's insurgency.

Meanwhile, in the western city of Herat hundreds of people have held a demonstration to protest at American influence in the province.

The rally comes a day after a number of people were killed in clashes between the police and the Afghan army.