Afghanistan: Sleeping family killed in rocket attack

A rocket hit a house in Afghanistan’s capital today, killing three family members as they slept.

Police chief Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada said the rocket was fired overnight from a district outside Kabul and landed on a house in the western part of the capital.

A father, mother and young girl were killed and two children aged five and seven were wounded.

Mr Sayedzada, head of Kabul’s criminal investigations unit, said there was no military or government target in the area.

Taliban militants have been gaining strength in Afghanistan and targeting foreign troops, but heavy artillery attacks are relatively rare in the capital.

Another rocket attack came before last month’s presidential election.