The new claims of civilian casualties in the battle against Taliban insurgents came with the coalition and separate Nato-led force already under pressure for the number of ordinary people being killed in their operations.

The air strikes were called into Girishk district of Helmand province after intense fighting Friday in which troops trying to clear the banks of the Helmand River of rebels had come under heavy attack, the coalition said.

"Our initial investigations show that 30 civilians including women, children and men have killed," said the mayor of the district, Dur Alisha.

"I cannot say anything about Taliban casualties. The number of civilians killed is 30, plus or minus one," he said.

An AFP photographer saw some of the wounded admitted to a clinic in the town of Girishk, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of the bombed area, and in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

Helmand province police chief Mohammad Hussain Andiwal told AFP earlier that 39 "armed Taliban" were killed.

A delegation was sent to the remote area to investigate after locals had claimed scores of civilians were killed and wounded, he said.

"Six houses have been bombed, three of them have been reduced to rubble," a local named Feda Mohammad said, claiming about 100 were dead and wounded.

"People are still busy bringing out the dead from under the rubble, there are funerals at various places," he said.

The area, near the village of Haidar Abad, has seen intense fighting with police saying foreign strikes killed 25 civilians, including nine women and three young children, in the vicinity on June 22.