A Nato official made a public apology in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Tuesday over the death of six civilians killed nearby during a military operation in mid-July.
Nato had originally said it killed six insurgents in the operation on July 14, but ordered an investigation after the provincial government went on strike and there was a mass protest in Khost city over the incident.
Provincial governor Mubarez Zadar had said the six dead were civilians, including a 11-year-old girl, and coalition forces had carried out their operation based on false information.
Colonel Chris Toner, head of Nato forces in Khost and neighbouring Paktia province, apologised "to the people and the Afghan government" in the presence of local officials, tribal leaders and relatives' victims.
He explained that the operation of 14 July was to go after a Taliban leader who was preparing suicide attacks in the city of Khost.
In line with Afghan tradition, Nato has offered six sheep and money to the families of the victims.
"We have forgiven, but we cannot accept the money and the sheep," said Jan Mohammad, a relative of one of the victims.
"If we do, the Taliban will create problems."
Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces, which border Pakistan, are bastions of the Haqqani network, a hardcore branch of the Afghan insurgency.
Civilian casualties are at a record high in the nearly 10-year war and are a sensitive issue in Afghanistan, with the issue regularly raised by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to his Nato allies.