KABUL: A car bomb and mortar shell attack in a busy market in Afghanistan’s Helmand province have killed 23 people, including children, and injured dozens, with the Taliban and the Afghan military blaming each other for the attacks.
According to Afghan media, an explosion took place at 9:30 am on Monday in the busy Mela Bazaar (cattle market) of Sangin area in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan when a mortar shell was also fired which killed 23 people including children and Several were injured.
Helmand Governor Muhammad Yasin confirmed the incident in a statement, but did not provide further details to the media or hold anyone accountable.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Sangin District, but the Taliban and Afghan forces are blaming each other. According to Afghan media, the incident could not be independently confirmed. The affected area is under the control of the Taliban.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi denied the Taliban’s involvement in the attack and blamed the Afghan army, saying the army fired mortar shells at the bazaar. On the other hand, the Afghan army has said that the militants targeted civilians by detonating car bombs and firing mortar shells.
The Afghan military added that no military operation was carried out in the area on Monday, when two Taliban fighters were killed while planting a car bomb in the bazaar