Two wounded as explosives, gunfire rock Kabul gurdwara; India condemns attack

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A group of unidentified gunmen stormed a gurdwara in the Afghan capital Kabul on June 18 and opened fire, with reports claiming that two were injured after the attackers attempted to drive a car laden with explosives into the area.

The vehicle detonated before reaching its target, and Taliban authorities were securing the site, according to Reuters. Local broadcaster Tolo aired footage showing heavy grey fumes of smoke rising from the area.

Also Read: Watchdog says Afghan Taliban detaining, torturing civilians

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers say they have secured the country since taking power in August, but international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in militancy remains.

The president of the Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Guru Gobind Singh Karte Parwan, Gurnam Singh, confirmed the attack to The Indian Express.

“Gunmen have opened fire in the gurdwara. We are on the other side of the building right now. Some people are suspected to be dead, but details will be clear only when we move inside,” Singh told the newspaper.

He added that there were at least 20-25 persons from the Sikh community inside the gurdwara when the attack took place.

Reuters also reported that a blast occurred in a ''Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday morning'', quoting a gudrwara official. However, it was unclear if there were casualties, it said.

"The Taliban are not allowing us to go inside, we don't know what to do," the temple official told Reuters. Taliban officials have not confirmed the explosion as yet.

"We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred gurudwara in that city. We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred Gurudwara in that city.

We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments. https://t.co/RFDRyGm6Xi

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2022

Security forces have cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure, he said. The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic, the witness said.

Speaking about the attack, Punjab Rajya Sabha MP Vikram Sahney said the gunmen who attacked the Kabul gurdwara are probably from the “Daesh group”, referring to the ISIS, the archrival of the Taliban.

The Taliban fighters had reached the spot and a fight was on, he said. The gurdwara has been damaged and four Sikhs missing, Sahney claimed. Gurdwara Karte Parwan is the central gurdwara of the Sikh community in Kabul.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also condemned the attack and urged the authorities for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul.

Strongly condemn the attack at Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. Have heard reports of shots being fired at devotees, I'm praying for everyone's safety. I urge PM @narendramodi ji and @MEAIndia for immediate assistance to ensure the safety of minorities in Kabul.

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) June 18, 2022

Multiple attacks have taken place in recent months, with some claimed by the Islamic State militant group.

Sikhs are a small religious minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising around 300 family members before the fall of the country to the Taliban. Many had left the country in the wake of the takeover, according to community members and media reports.

The Sikh community, like other religious minorities, has been the continual target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack claimed by the Islamic State at another temple in Kabul in 2020 killed 25.

Saturday's explosion follows a blast on Friday in the northern city of Kunduz at a mosque that killed one and injured two, according to authorities.

In March 2020, at least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed a prominent gurdwara in the heart of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the country.

With inputs from agencies