Air raids against suspected Taliban in Uruzgan province south of Afghanistan claimed the lives of 19 civilians and injured over a dozen others, head of Provincial Council Amanullah Hotaki said Monday.

"Aircrafts of international troops carried out strikes against suspected militants on a road linking Chora to Kachran district Sunday night but hit three civilian vehicles killing 19 innocent civilians including women and children," Hotaki told Xinhua.

He also added that 16 more people sustained injuries.

The incident occurred while a massive Afghan-NATO operation against Taliban bastion in Marja district of the southern Helmand province has been continuing since February 13.