A battle between NATO and Afghan troops and Taliban militants Friday afternoon in southern Afghanistan on Friday afternoon left dozens of civilians killed, locals said on Saturday, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, doctors confirmed that seven injured children have been taken to the local hospital.
"All the injured children have been taken to Kandahar hospital from Sangin district of Helmand province," Abdul Qayum Pukhla , a doctor in Mir Wais hospital in Kandahar city, told Xinhua.
Another doctor in the same hospital, Abdul Jalil told Xinhua that, "Four of the injured children are boys and three others are girls. They are between five to 11 years old."
All these children received injuries from air bombardment, he further said.
A crying villager Abdul Ghafar, 60, who brought his son and three nephews to the hospital told Xinhua that over 30 civilians, mostly women and children were killed in the incident.
"Members of seven families were gathered in a house in Regi village in Sangin district to escape the clash between Taliban and Afghan and NATO-led troops. Suddenly we came under attack from air and artillery, and resultantly over 30 people including women and children lost their lives," the crying Ghafar said.
He also said that the bloody incident occurred at 04:30 p.m. local time on Friday.
The dejected Ghafar also said he also lost two of his sisters and two daughters in the bombardment.
Another villager Omar Khan claimed that between 50 to 60 civilians were killed in the air bombardment in Sangin district on Friday afternoon.
On the other hand, a Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi claimed that 40 civilians were killed in the air raids and there are no Taliban casualties.
Spokesman for Helmand's provincial administration Daud Ahmadi avoided commenting on the subject.
Meanwhile, NATO forces in Afghanistan have yet to comment. ISAF spokesman Josef Blotz told Xinhua that he has not had any report on the issue.