Kabul: Child killed in rocket strike; US drone hits 'explosive-laden vehicle'

Washington/Kabul: An Afghan police chief says a rocket has struck a neighbourhood northwest of Kabul's international airport amid the US evacuation there, killing a child.

Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name, says the rocket struck Sunday afternoon. No group immediately claimed the attack.

Meanwhile, the US military confirmed on Sunday that it targeted an "explosive-laden vehicle" headed towards Kabul's international airport where the American military is involved in an evacuation operation.

US military forces conducted a self-defence unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamid Karzai International airport," said Capt Bill Urban, spokesman of the US Central Command. We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material, Urban said.

The US is assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though it has no indications at this time.

We remain vigilant for potential future threats, Urban said in a statement.

A Taliban spokesman earlier said in a message to journalists in Afghanistan that the US strike targeted a suicide bomber as he drove a vehicle loaded with explosives.

Sunday's drone strike was the second by the US since the twin blasts at the Kabul airport that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American soldiers.