WORLD BRIEFING / AFGHANISTAN

A NATO operation killed six civilians, including a woman and a young girl, in a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, villagers and officials said. But the military alliance said its force killed four to eight militants.

The governor of Kunar province, Sayed Fazelullah Wahidi, said four men also died in the airstrikes. Reports indicated there were foreign militants around the village, but Wahidi said all the dead were civilians.

NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said “four to eight enemy fighters” were killed and intelligence intercepts indicated “the hostile intent of the enemy to attack ISAF posts.” Still, a spokesman said, it was possible civilians were wounded.