Islamic State claims responsibility for knife attack in Germany's Solingen

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Saturday for a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen that killed three people on Friday.

The militant group said in a statement on its Telegram account that the attack was carried out by one of its members "in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere".

It did not immediately provide any evidence for its assertion and it was not clear how close any relationship between the attacker and Islamic State was.

Friday's attack, in which a man killed three people and wounded eight others, took place in the Fronhof, a market square in Solingen where live bands were playing as part of a festival marking the city's 650th anniversary.

Police said they were conducting a manhunt for the assailant. They said they had detained a 15-year-old and were investigating whether this person was linked to the attacker.