Blast kills 23 Afghans at a cattle market in southern Afghanistan

At least 23 civilians were killed in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province and dozens were injured when rockets fell on a cattle market on Monday, said Afghan government and Taliban officials.

The warring sides blamed each other for the attack on the open-air weekly cattle market in Sangin district where hundreds of villagers from neighbouring districts had gathered to trade sheep and goats.

A spokesman for Helmand's governor said the several rockets fired by Taliban insurgents landed close to the cattle market, killing 23 civilians, including children.

Taliban officials blamed the government officials for killing the civilians.