Kabul  - The Afghan cabinet has demanded the presence of the international community "must be reviewed" while the government should also regulate the authority and responsibilities of the foreign forces in the country, a presidential statement said Monday.

The move by the Afghan ministers came three days after some 90 civilians, including women but mostly children, were killed in a US- led coalition air raid in western Herat Province.

Soon after the attack, the US military said its forces had targeted a militants' hideout in the province's Shindand district, killing 30 Taliban including a rebel commander.

But a commission appointed by the Afghan government and led by a cabinet minister said that more than 90 civilians had been killed in the attack when it concluded its investigation on Sunday.

The US military, which said it would investigate the allegations, has not commented on government's findings yet.

The cabinet decided that "the presence of the international community in Afghanistan must be reviewed through a mutual agreement," a presidential statement said.

The issues of "uncoordinated house searches and harassing civilians have also been of concern to the government of Afghanistan which has been shared with the commanders of international forces in Afghanistan," it said.

"Unfortunately, to date, our demands have not been addressed, rather, more civilians, including women and children, are losing their lives as a result of air raids," the statement said.

The statement also said that the "authority and responsibilities of the international forces in the country must be regulated through a status of force agreement" consistent with both international and Afghan law.

"Airstrikes on civilian targets, uncoordinated house searches and illegal detention of Afghan civilians must be stopped," it said.

President Hamid Karzai also met members of Afghanistan's parliament led by Speaker Mohammad Younus Qanooni to discuss the security situation, a separate presidential statement said.

The legislators urged the president to regulate the presence of foreign troops in the country, it said, adding that the parliamentarians also supported Monday's resolution by the cabinet ministers.

Civilian casualties during international operations against the Taliban are a matter of grave concern to the Western-backed Afghan government as it struggles to win legitimacy among the population.

On Sunday, Karzai sacked two Afghan army commanders for "dereliction of duty" and "concealing the truth" in the Shindand incident.

More than 70,000 international troops from around 40 countries are currently deployed in Afghanistan. The forces operate under NATO and US commanders.

Karzai's attempts to bring the international forces under the control of his administration have failed in the past.

The cabinet also tasked the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, to hold talks with officials from the international forces, Monday's statement said.

Of the more than 3,000 people killed so far this year, more than 1,000 have been civilians, according to figures provided by Afghan and international military sources. (dpa)