Neither the Taliban nor the Islamic State’s Khorasan’s Province has claimed the attack on Saleh. The Islamic State is quick to claim its attacks, while the Taliban often denies responsibility for an attack in which a large number of civilians are killed and wounded. Given’s Saleh’s history as NDS chief from 2004 to 2010, as Interior Minister from Dec. 2019 to Jan. 2019, as well as a high profile political leader and candidate for Vice President in the upcoming elections, it is likely that the Taliban would consider him to be a combatant rather than a civilian, and thus fair game.