A suicide bomber targeted a group of Hindus and Sikhs yesterday in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing at least 19 people. The mishap took place hours after President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated a hospital in the town.
At least 10 of the 19 dead have been confirmed to be Sikhs, with more than 20 people injured. Awtar Singh Khalsa, the only Sikh candidate running for the October elections, was also one among the dead. The casualty might have been much higher had much of the city not been blocked for the visit by Ghani.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The attack came after Ghani had ordered Afghan security forces to resume offensive operations against the Taliban. Even the US envoy Alice Wells had visited Kabul as part of efforts to notch up pressure on Taliban to engage in peace talks. The Taliban have so far ignored Ghani’s offer of peace negotiations. Rather they demand direct conversation with the United States, which Washington has been repeatedly refusing.
The Indian embassy in Kabul has condemned the attack and has remarked the remaining Sikhs of Afghanistan as the most endangered community in Asia. Small communities of Sikhs and Hindus had been living in Afghanistan for years, which is otherwise a Muslim nation. But due to repeated persecution and threats, increasing number of Indians have started migrating to India and Pakistan.
