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 said about 45 people were also wounded when the rocket struck late on Wednesday night during a firefight between government forces and Taliban insurgents nearby.

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

Sangin, in a volatile area of the Helmand 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.