Rocket kills 26 at Afghan wedding party

Afghan police say that at least 26 people have been killed by a rocket that hit a house during a wedding party in the southern province of Helmand.

Police spokesman Fareed Ahmad Obaid says at least 45 people were wounded when the rocket struck late Wednesday night during a firefight between government forces and Taliban insurgents nearby.

Bashir Ahmad Shakir, a provincial council member, said the death toll could be up to 30 with as many as 60 wounded.

Sangin, in a volatile area of the Helmand River valley, has been the scene of fighting between government forces and Taliban militants for the past six months since the withdrawal of US led international forces.