(UTV|COLOMBO) – A suicide bombing in the Eastern Afghan City of Jalalabad has killed at least 19 people, most of them members of the country’s Sikh minority, the BBC reported.
Police said they had been travelling in a vehicle to meet President Ashraf Ghani, who is visiting Nangarhar Province, when the bomber struck.
Among those killed was the only Sikh candidate who had planned to contest October’s Parliamentary Elections.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it carried out the attack.
Hours earlier, President Ghani had opened a hospital in Jalalabad during his two-day visit to Nangarhar. Officials said he was not in the area when the suicide blast occurred.
The Indian Embassy in Kabul condemned the “Cowardly terrorist” attack.
It confirmed that Awtar Singh Khalsa, the only Sikh candidate running in the 20 October elections, was among the dead.
1/2 We strongly condemn the henious and cowardly terrorist attack in #Jalalabad today evening which resulted in the death of 20 innocent Afghans, including 10 members of the Afghan Sikh Community, and injured more than 20 persons.
— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) July 1, 2018
2/2 We convey heartfelt condolences 2 d families of d victims & pray 4 early recovery of d injured.The attack again underlines d need 4 united global fight against international terrorism without discrimination & accountability of those who support terrorists in any manner
— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) July 1, 2018
“The attack underlines the need for a united global fight against international terrorism without discrimination and accountability of those who support terrorists in any manner,” the Embassy tweeted.
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