At least five civilians, including three children, were killed overnight in a NATO airstrike in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

The civilians aged between 12 and 20 were hit by a NATO airstrike while they were out hunting birds in the area of Saracha, a few kilometres from Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashreqiwal told AFP.

A NATO spokesman said he was aware of the airstrike but could not confirm any casualties.