DHAKA: Bangladesh police have arrested three local militants over the decapitation of a top Hindu priest, the latest attack targeting religious minorities in the nation, officers said Monday.

The Daesh group has claimed responsibility for the attack inside the temple complex on Sunday in the country’s north, but local police said there was no evidence to suggest the group was involved.

“We’ve arrested three people for interrogation,” said Babul Akhter, police chief of Debiganj area where the attack happened.

Two members of banned militant group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and an activist with Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamic political party, were arrested overnight Sunday. Police did not give details of their alleged involvement in the attack.

“The Daesh has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on minorities. But we haven’t found any evidence confirming their link. Rather we have found JMB was behind these killings,” Akhter told AFP.

Two unknown men armed with pistols and cleavers attacked Jogeswar Roy as he was arranging prayers at the temple in Debiganj town, some 400 km north of the capital Dhaka, police have said.

Two devotees were also wounded in the attack, including one who was shot as he tried to save the priest, they have said.

US-based monitoring organization SITE has reported that the Daesh said in a statement it is behind the murder.