Australian soldiers of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) keep guard on top of armored vehicles, in Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province (File photo)

The NATO-led mission in Afghanistan has urged civilians to stay away from military patrol vehicles so that they are not mistaken for insurgents.

A spokesman, Bernd Allert, for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, told reporters Wednesday civilian drivers should behave so they cannot be mistaken for a threat.

The spokesman warned that ISAF forces are authorized to fire warning shots if unidentified vehicles get too close.

The warning is part of a new public awareness campaign aimed at preventing civilian casualties - an issue that has plagued the alliance over the past year. It will also include new signs on military vehicles, billboards and television advertisements.

After several incidents in which civilians were killed during anti-insurgent operations last year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded NATO and the U.S.-led coalition review its military strategy.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.