Omar said that the explosion claimed the lives of 45 civilians and the remaining dead were Taliban, including a commander, Mullah Abdul Rahman.

At least 13 wounded people, including three children, were brought to Kunduz's provincial hospital from the blast, said Humayun Khamosh, director of the provincial health department.

Mohammad Akbar from Haji Amanullah village, where the incident took place, said the Taliban had asked the local villagers to take the fuel.

'Both Taliban and ordinary people were taking the fuel to their homes when the military jet dropped bombs on the tankers,' said Akbar, who was accompanying wounded people to the Kunduz city hospital. He said his cousin was killed in the blast.

The Taliban is active in Chardarah district, from which they have launched several attacks in the province.

A security source in the province said around 200 people were killed and wounded in Friday's explosion.

'The Taliban are active in that village, so it will take some time to get the exact figures of how many of them were civilians and how many of them were the militants,' he said while declining to be named because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Civilian deaths during NATO military operations have become a delicate issue in the country and have sparked demonstrations in the past.

The new NATO commander for Afghanistan, US General Stanley McChrystal, ordered the alliance in new guidelines released last week to curb such casualties and make the protection of civilians its main mission.