Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed his sadness over the killing of civilians in a village in the southern province of Kandahar.
Karzai blamed a NATO military strike on Tuesday, which was aimed at targeting suspected Taliban fighters in the region.
The death toll was estimated at 30 to 80, including many women and children, which is among the highest in the country since the fall of the Taliban.
A delegation made up of officials and local elders would investigate the incident.
Karzai said the only way to prevent further civilian causalities in the future was to strengthen the Afghan armed forces:
 "Afghanistan has pilots and military airbases and if we have a powerful air force we can prevent these incidents from happening in future."
The President has repeatedly condemned civilian deaths caused by Western forces and urged NATO to use "maximum caution" in its military operations.
There are concerns that civilian casualties caused by NATO action could turn Afghans against the counterinsurgency campaign, many of whom already blame the NATO and the government for the lack of security in the country.
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Director: Liu Chi