A suspected insurgent killed three Afghan children and injured four other civilians in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday after being targeted by NATO-led troops, the military alliance said.
Acting on intelligence reports, Afghan and NATO troops targeted a senior Taliban fighter and an associate in Faryab province, the military said, DPA reported.
The security forces called on suspected Taliban to surrender, and tried to put women and children into a courtyard after the initial fighting broke out, it said.
"One of the insurgents subsequently pointed a weapon through an adjacent window and then threw a hand grenade into the courtyard area, resulting in the deaths and injuries of Afghan civilians," it said.
Five Afghan and coalition forces personnel were also injured in the attack, while the combined forces also killed "several insurgents" during the firefight which took place in the province's Bal Chiragh district, it added.
Local authorities were not immediately available for comment.