The International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan has again accidentally killed civilians.

Five people were killed in an air strike in the southern province of Kandahar when ISAF soldiers on patrol saw Afghans digging a hole by the side of the road. The soldiers thought the Afghans were planting a roadside bomb and called in an air strike. An investigation after the strike revealed the mistake.

In a separate incident in the province of Helmand, three civilians were mistaken for rebels and shot dead. On Sunday, 12 Afghan civilians were killed by two rockets which went astray. US, British and Afghan forces are engaged in a major offensive - named Operation Moshtarak - against the Taliban in Helmand. One of the offensive's stated objectives is to avoid civilian casualties.