Deaths as rockets hit Afghanistan cattle market

At least 30  civilians were killed in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province after rockets fell on a cattle market.

Afghan government and Taliban officials immediately traded blame for the deaths on Monday in the open-air weekly cattle market in the Sangin district.

Hundreds of villagers from neighbouring districts had gathered to trade sheep and goats when the rockets fell in the market.

A spokesman for Helmand’s governor said the several rockets fired by Taliban insurgents landed close to the cattle market, killing many, including children.

Taliban officials blamed the government officials for killing the civilians.