Kabul - At least eight civilians were killed and two others wounded in an airstrike by the U. S-led coalition forces in Farah province in western Afghanistan, the coalition forces said Thursday.

A coalition convoy on a routine patrol came under sustained attack from machine gun- and indirect fire coming from a number of houses adjacent to a road in the province's Bakwa district, a statement issued by the coalition forces in Kabul said.

"The coalition convoy returned fire and called for close air support on the enemy positions. A house was hit, eight civilians were killed, two others injured," the statement said.

A local official from Bakwa said all those killed were women and children.

Around 700 Afghan civilians were killed by violence so far this year, according to a recent United Nations' survey. (dpa)