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The Islamic State group has claimed duty for an assault on a Sikh temple in Kabul which killed not less than one worshipper and injured seven others.
IS made the declaration in a press release posted on its Amaq website late on Saturday.
It mentioned the assault on “the Sikh and Hindu temple” in Afghanistan’s capital was in response to alleged insults made in opposition to the Prophet Muhammad, the central determine of the Islamic faith, by an Indian authorities official. It didn’t title the official.
Gunmen attacked the Sikh house of worship, often called a gurdwara, on Saturday morning, and a firefight between the attackers and Taliban fighters looking to guard the construction ensued, Afghan officers mentioned.
A car crammed with explosives was detonated outdoors the temple however that resulted in no casualties. Before that, the gunmen threw a hand grenade which induced a fireplace close to the temple’s gate, the officers mentioned.
The IS mentioned Abu Mohammed al-Tajiki, a member of the group, stormed the temple after killing the guard which focused on the folks inside with machine-gun fireplace and hand grenades.
IS fighters outdoors the temple detonated 4 explosive units and an automobile bomb focusing on patrols of Taliban militia who tried to guard the temple.
The battle ended after three hours, the Amaq report mentioned.
The Sikh Coalition, the biggest Sikh civil rights organization primarily based within the United States, mentioned the gurdwara was considerably broken by the assault.
Anisha Singh, the group’s govt director, mentioned in a press release late on Saturday: “The recurring tragic violence focusing on the Afghan Sikh neighborhood is devastating, but additionally completely predictable and preventable.
“The worldwide neighborhood, and particularly the United States, continues to fall in need of urgently-needed efforts to guard and safely resettle all Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.”
Videos posted on social media confirmed plumes of black smoke rising from the temple in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighborhood and gunfire may very well be heard.
Taliban fighters guard the positioning of a blast in Kabul (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)
Kabul police mentioned their operation ended after the final attacker was killed a number of hours after the assault started. They mentioned one Sikh was killed and 7 others had been injured during the assault and a Taliban safety officer was killed in the course of the rescue operation.
It was unclear what number of IS militants had been concerned or what number had been killed within the gunbattle with the Taliban.
Earlier this month, Indian officers held talks with the Taliban in Kabul for the primary time for the reason that the group took management of the nation’s final 12 months on the distribution of humanitarian support. The Indian delegation was led by JP Singh, a secretary within the External Affairs Ministry.
It was not instantly clear whether or not JP Singh was the “Hindu” the IS referred to in its assertion on Saturday or what feedback he may need to be made that provoked the IS assault. It was additionally unclear why the extremist organization would goal a Sikh temple in retaliation for feedback made by an Indian official.
An Islamic State group affiliate, often called Islamic State in Khorasan Province or IS-Okay, has been working in Afghanistan since 2014. It is seen as the best safety problem dealing with the nation’s Taliban rulers, who seized energy in Kabul and elsewhere within the nation final August. They have launched a sweeping crackdown in opposition to the IS in jap Afghanistan.
Several explosions and gunfire ripped via a Sikh temple in Afghanistan’s capital (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)In March 2020, a lone IS gunman rampaged via a unique Sikh temple in Kabul, killing 25 worshippers, together with a baby, and wounding eight others. As many as 80 worshippers had been trapped contained in the gurdwara because the gunman lobbed grenades and fired a computerized rifle into the gang.
The Sikh Coalition has advocated for the resettlement of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus as the reason for the 2020 assault.
During his presidential marketing campaign, President Joe Biden supported resettlement for these households. Politicians from each event within the House and Senate additionally advocated for resettlement.
Despite these exhibits of help, nevertheless, little has been carried out to assist Afghan Sikhs and Hindus to go away the nation or help these briefly evacuated to nations together with India.
There had been fewer than 700 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan at the time of the 2020 assault. Since then, dozens of households have left however many can not financially afford to maneuver and have remained in Afghanistan, primarily in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Ghazni.
