Asadabad: Twenty-two civilians, including women and children, were killed in an air strike by US-led forces on Friday in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nuristan, an official said.

The attack happened on a road in the Want district while the noncombatants were travelling in two vehicles, the district chief, Zia-Ul Rahman, told reporters.

"The civilians were evacuating the district as they were told by the US-led troops to do so because they wanted to launch an operation against the Taliban," he said.

"The civilians were in two vehicles when killed by the air raid," he added. The US military had no immediate comment about the incident.