Deadly attack hits Sikh temple in Afghan capital Kabul

The police department said one Sikh person was killed and seven others were wounded in the attack, while a Taliban security official died during the rescue operation.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but a regional affiliate of the Daesh terrorist group has lately increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but a regional affiliate of the Daesh terrorist group has lately increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.

Several explosions and gunfire have ripped through a Sikh temple in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, killing at least one person and wounding seven others.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack.

Gunmen attacked the Sikh house of worship, known as a gurdwara, in Kabul and a gunfight with security personnel ensued, said Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesperson for the Interior Ministry.

He said a vehicle full of explosives was detonated outside of the temple but that resulted in no casualties. “First the gunmen threw a hand grenade, which caused a fire near the gate,” he said.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for the Kabul police chief, said the police operation ended after the last attacker was killed several hours later. He did not say how many attackers were involved.

Zadran said one Sikh person was killed and seven others were wounded in the attack and a Taliban security official was also killed during the rescue operation.

"The security forces were able to act quickly to control the attack and eliminate the attackers in a short period of time to prevent further casualties," he said.

Videos posted on social media show plumes of black smoke rising from the temple in Kabul's Bagh-e Bala neighbourhood and gunfire can be heard.

READ MORE: Why some Afghan Hindus and Sikhs don’t want to go to India

Afghan Sikh community

Sikhs are a religious minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising around 300 family members before the fall of the country to the Taliban last August.

Many had left the country in the wake of the takeover, according to community members and media reports.

The Sikh community has been the continual target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack claimed by the Daesh terror group at another temple in Kabul in 2020 killed 25.

India's foreign ministry was "deeply concerned" about reports of Saturday's attack. 

"We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement earlier in the day.

A regional affiliate of the Daesh terror group has lately increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country. 

It has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014 and is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers.

READ MORE: Afghan officials say lone attacker killed at least 25 in Sikh complex

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