Essen Sikhs probe terror strike

Hundreds of Sikhs gathered in Essen on Saturday to participate in a traditional procession called the Nagar Kirtan to protest the terror strike in their place of worship last week.

People recited parts of the Sikh holy book, the "Guru Granth Sahib," and sang religious hymns. Young men with swords enacted poses from the traditional Sikh martial art Gatka to the sounds of music and drums.

A German reporter on the scene tweeted this video.

The march was not a direct reaction to the attack, but was intended to pass on the message that the religious group would not succumb to fears of terrorism, the DPA news agency reported.

Three men were injured last Saturday when two attackers struck during a wedding ceremony in Essen's gurudwara, the Sikhs' place of worship. Nearly a week later on Friday, police arrested two 16-year-olds and an accomplice, suspected of carrying out the attack. Both teenagers were born and raised in Germany, officials said.

Reacting to the attack on the Sikh holy site, the Indian government said it would closely monitor the probe into the incident. "We assume this to be an act of terrorism," Vikas Swarup, the spokesman for India's External Affairs Ministry, told journalists.

mg/rc (dpa, Reuters)