A statement says international forces are meeting with village elders Thursday morning to determine the extent of the casualties in Helmand.

U.S. military spokeswoman Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said ground forces were coming under fire from inside the compound during a prolonged gunbattle before they called in the airstrike.

The issue of civilian casualties has been a source of friction between President Hamid Karzai and U.S. military commanders.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal has ordered troops to limit airstrikes to prevent civilian casualties.