Kabul- NATO-led forces "reluctantly" shot dead an Afghan civilian in southern Afghanistan after the man approached an alliance foot patrol on Saturday, the military said.

The incident began when a civilian approached a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrol in Sangin district of southern Helmand province and failed to stop despite verbal warnings by the forces, ISAF said in a statement.

"When the civilian failed to stop, the patrol fired two warning shots. The civilian still failed to stop," the statement said adding, "Fearing a suicide bomber, the patrol targeted the civilian and fired one round wounding the civilian."

The man succumbed to his injuries despite immediate first aid provided by military personnel, the statement said.

Civilian casualties at the hands of foreign troops have become a sensitive issue and have strained relations between the Afghan government and NATO-led foreign forces.

The incident came a day after NATO-led Canadian forces fatally shot a civilian in the southern city of Kandahar after the truck he was travelling in failed to stop approaching a military convoy.

Nearly 1,500 civilians are among more than 4,000 people who have been killed in the Afghan conflict so far this year. (dpa)