Militants attack Sikh temple in Kabul, kill 1

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed at least one worshiper and wounded seven others.

Islamic State made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website late Saturday. It said the assault on “the Sikh and Hindu temple” was in response to alleged insults made against the prophet Muhammad by an unnamed Indian government official.

Gunmen attacked the Sikh house of worship, known as a gurdwara, Saturday morning, and a firefight between the attackers and Taliban fighters seeking to protect the building ensued, Afghan officials said.

A vehicle filled with explosives was detonated outside the temple, but that resulted in no casualties. Before that, the gunmen threw a hand grenade that caused a fire near the temple’s gate, the officials said

The Islamic State said a member of the group killed the temple’s guard, stormed the building and targeted people with machine-gun fire and hand grenades.

Islamic State fighters outside the temple detonated four explosive devices and a car bomb targeting patrols of Taliban militia who tried to protect the temple. The battle ended after three hours, the Amaq report said.

The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization based in the United States, said the gurdwara was significantly damaged by the attack.

“The recurring tragic violence targeting the Afghan Sikh community is devastating, but also entirely predictable and preventable,” said Anisha Singh, the group’s executive director, in a statement late Saturday. “The international community, and in particular the United

States, continues to fall short of urgently-needed efforts to protect and safely resettle all Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.”

Videos posted on social media showed plumes of black smoke rising from the temple in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighborhood and gunfire could be heard.

Kabul police said the gunfight with the militants ended after the last attacker was killed several hours after the assault began. They said that one Sikh was killed and seven others were wounded in the attack and that a Taliban security member was killed during the rescue operation.