Afghan VP vows to track down Kabul attackers

KABUL: Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh vowed Sunday to track down those responsible for a rocket attack on the capital that killed at least 10 people, even as the Islamic State group claimed to have fired the salvo.

The rockets struck several densely populated districts of Kabul Saturday -- including in and around the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses embassies and foreign firms.

The attack came hours before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was to meet with negotiators from the Taliban and Afghan government in Qatar, amid signs of progress in talks between the two warring groups.

"We will find out the networks who facilitated in transporting the materials (rockets) used in the attack," Saleh said on his Facebook page after a meeting with security officials.

Saleh said the attack left 10 people dead and another 51 wounded.

Several buildings were damaged, including the Iranian embassy and a medical complex.

Although the attack was claimed by IS, officials blamed the Taliban. They have denied involvement.

It was the third attack in the capital claimed by IS in less than a month.

Two previous attacks targeted educational centres and killed nearly 50 people, mostly students.

The Taliban and Afghan government have been engaged in peace talks in Doha since September 12, but violence on the ground continues unabated.

In the past six months the Taliban have carried out 53 suicide attacks and detonated 1,250 explosive devices that have left 1,210 civilians dead and 2,500 wounded, the interior ministry said this week.