Afghan officials say at least 19 civilians have been killed during a military operation carried out by US-led forces in troubled eastern Afghanistan, Press TV reports.

Head of the provincial council of Afghanistan's eastern province of Nuristan said on Monday that the deadly operation had been conducted by foreign forces last Wednesday.

Similar operations by US-led troops in eastern provinces of Wardak, Logar and Paktia left at least 12 people dead and injured several others on Sunday.

In another deadly incident on Sunday, five Afghan people were killed in a US-led airstrike, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

Hundreds of civilians have lost their lives in US-led airstrikes and ground operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past few months, with Afghans becoming more and more outraged over the seemingly endless number of deadly assaults.

Civilian casualties caused by NATO attacks have been a major source of tension between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the US-led military alliance.

Afghan people have also been the target of many roadside bombs which are the Taliban's weapons of choice.

At least seven Afghan civilians were killed on Friday when a roadside blast hit a minivan in the southern province of Kandahar.

The attacks have killed large numbers of Afghan civilians since the onset of the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

Afghans have held several protests against NATO over the issue of civilian casualties.

The US-led war in Afghanistan, with civilian and military casualties at record highs, has become the longest war in the US history.