At least seven children were among 14 killed in the raids in Helmand and Kunar provinces, UN says.

Air raids in Afghanistan's southern Helmand and eastern Kunar provinces have killed at least 14 civilians, the UN said on Thursday.

Seven children were among those killed in the attacks that took place in Helmand's Gereshk and Kunar's Chawki districts on Monday and Wednesday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.

The statement said civilian casualties from air raids continue to rise while calling for the parties to "respect international obligations to protect civilians from harm".

UNAMA did not disclose information on who conducted the air raids.

Aerial operations between January 1 and March 31 by both Afghan and international military forces caused 145 deaths, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the total deaths during that period, UNAMA said in its quarterly report in April.

Women and children comprised half of those casualties (145 deaths and 83 injuries), according to UNAMA.

In the same quarter of last year, air attacks caused 67 deaths and 75 injuries.

Last week, an air attack killed at least eight policemen by mistake during a battle with the Taliban outside the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah in southern Helmand province, the US military and Afghan officials said.

The Taliban, which was removed from power by US-led forces in 2001, has been waging a bloody rebellion against the country's Western-backed government.

Pro-government forces have been struggling to combat the armed group, which holds sway over nearly half of the war-torn country.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES