Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for a probe into the killing of a family in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province by a Nato airstrike on Saturday night.

Karzai has assigned a delegation to investigate the civilian casualties, according to a statement released by his office Sunday.

Provincial spokesman Rohullah Samon told TOLOnews that at least eight Afghan civilians of the one family - a father, mother and their six children - were killed when a Nato bombardment hit their home in Paktia's Suri Khail village in the Gerd Seray district around 8pm.

The Afghan troops were not aware of the incident at the time, he said.

The coalition forces said Sunday morning it was aware of the allegations and it is looking into what happened late Saturday in Paktia province.

Karzai has strongly denounced the Western military over civilian deaths in the past.

Just over two weeks ago, he summoned Isaf Commander General John Allen and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker to the presidential palace after Nato airstrikes killed as many as 20 civilians in four provinces, according to local officials.

Karzai said told them the civilian deaths at the hands of the US-led forces put the long-term agreement signed with the US at risk of becoming "meaningless".

"Karzai signed the strategic pact with the United States to avoid such incidents and if Afghans do not feel safe, the strategic partnership loses its meaning," Karzai's office said in a statement issued after the meeting.

His office added that dozens of civilians had been killed in the eastern provinces of Kapisa and Logar, north-western Badghis province and the southern Helmand.

Nato and US forces said in a joint statement after the meeting that civilians had died in two separate airstrikes, but it did not give the number of deaths.

Allen reportedly told Karzai that he holds himself personally responsible for the incidents.