Islamic State says it was behind an attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday, which saw at least two people killed and seven others injured, another deadly incident in a series of attacks. violence against minorities and minorities. places of worship.
Key points:
- An official says there were about 30 people inside the building at the time of the attack
- A temple worshiper and a Taliban fighter were killed
- The local branch of the Islamic State says the attack was in response to insults directed at the Prophet Muhammad
In a Telegram-affiliated channel, the local branch of the Islamic State said the attack was a response to insults directed at the Prophet Muhammad, an apparent reference to statements by an Indian government spokeswoman who have been convicted of many Muslim-majority countries.
In the images broadcast by the national station Tolo, gray smoke rose over the temple.
A Taliban interior spokesman said the attackers had loaded a car with explosives but detonated it before reaching its target.
A temple official, Gornam Singh, said there were about 30 people inside the building at the time.
A man pours water on the burning ashes inside a house damaged by the explosions. (Reuters: Ali Khara)
A spokesman for the Kabul Taliban commander said a Sikh worshiper had been killed in the attack and a Taliban fighter was killed when his forces took control of the area.
Since taking power in August, the Taliban say they have increased security in Afghanistan and turned the country away from militant threats, although international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence of the militancy continues.
A vehicle loaded with explosives was detonated causing devastation in Kabul. (Reuters: Ali Khara)
Islamic State has claimed some attacks in recent months.
The group said a suicide bomber stormed the temple on Saturday morning armed with a machine gun and hand grenades after killing his guard.
Other militants fought for more than three hours with Taliban fighters, who tried to intervene to protect the temple, targeting them with four explosive devices and a car bomb, the militant group said.
Saturday’s blast was widely condemned as one of a series of attacks on minorities, with a statement from neighboring Pakistan saying its government was “gravely concerned about the recent wave of terrorist attacks on places of worship. in Afghanistan. “
In a statement, the UN mission in Afghanistan said that the country’s minorities need to be protected, and Indian President Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he was “shocked” by the attack on the Sikh temple. .
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The Sikhs are a small religious minority in Afghanistan, largely Muslim, which includes about 300 families before the country fell to the Taliban. Many have since left, according to community members and the media.
Like other religious minorities, Sikhs have been a continuing target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack on another temple in Kabul in 2020 that killed 25 people was also claimed by Islamic State.
Saturday’s blast came after an explosion at a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz the day before killed one person and injured two, according to authorities.
Reuters