Arsonists set fire to the Indian consulate in San Francisco early Sunday morning, reports Diya TV.
Supporters of creating a separate Sikh homeland in Khalistan are taking responsibility for the violent act.
Reuters reports the U.S. State Department is condemning the violence.
“Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The Indian consulate provided a video of the fire to Diya TV that Sikh separatists said they photographed.
The video contained a message that read “Violence Begets Violence,” an apparent reference to the murders of the leaders of the Khalistan movement in Canada, the UK and Pakistan, according to Diya TV.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze shortly after it started, avoiding major damage and injuries, reports CNBC TV18. It broke out between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Mint reported that both the Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr TV Nagendra Prasad, Consulate General of India, have been threatened for their alleged role in last month’s killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar had been among a list of 40 alleged terrorists released by the Indian government.
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