KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Airstrikes carried out by the American military killed at least 13 civilians on Saturday in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz, according to residents and officials in the area, a difficult battleground for both Afghan and American forces.

The airstrikes took place in the Chardara district, where Afghan commandos, often advised by the American military and supported by United States air power, had been carrying out operations for several days.

After overnight airstrikes against the Taliban, several residents said the fighters forced them in the morning to help them retrieve the bodies of their fighters from the rubble, at which point the airstrikes resumed.

Capt. Tom Gresback, a spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan, said they were aware of the claims and were looking into them.