Islamic State says attack on Sikh temple is revenge for Prophet insults

An Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh temple in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that killed at least two people and injured seven.

The attack on Saturday was "an act of revenge" following insults made by members of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about the Prophet Mohammed, ISIS-Khorasan said on its Telegram channel, reports CNN.

Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for the party, had made derogatory remarks regarding the Prophet Mohammed during a panel discussion on a news channel and her comments were allegedly followed by anti-Islam comments by another party leader on Twitter.

Seven gunmen had tried to storm the temple in the early hours of Saturday morning and all were killed after a standoff that lasted several hours, according to Kabul police.

ISIS-K said in its Telegram post that its suicide bomber Abu Muhammad al-Tajik had gained entry to the temple by throwing a hand grenade at the security guard officer at the entrance, killing him.

"Armed with a rifle, pistol and hand grenades, he proceeded to shoot," the worshippers inside the temple, ISIS-K said.

A temple official said 30 people were inside the temple at the time.

ISIS-K also claimed its members had clashed with Taliban government fighters trying to reach the temple, targeting them with a car bomb and four other explosive devices.

It said the clashes between ISIS-K and the Taliban fighters had lasted three hours and that the suicide bomber al-Tajik had died in these exchanges.