The Afghanistan government had prior information of an attack being planned on a gurdwara in the Karta Parwan area of Kabul and adequate security measures were in place at the Sikh temple, sources in the Taliban administration told News18 on Saturday.
Several explosions and gunfire ripped through the gurdwara on Saturday morning and three Taliban members were said to be engaged in a firefight with terrorists affiliated to the Islamic State who stormed the place of worship and opened fire. Eight people are said to be trapped inside and a security guard reportedly succumbed to injuries.
Speaking to News18, a top source in the Taliban government said the regime is “committed to the safety of all minorities in Afghanistan. including Sikhs”.
“We had prior information about the attack and adequate security measures were in place. We are also committed to the safety and security of the Indian mission in Kabul. Any withdrawal from both sides will make the common enemy happy,” the source said.
According to Associated Press, Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the attack but did not provide further details or say whether there were casualties.
Videos posted on social media showed plumes of black smoke rising from the gurdwara in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighborhood while gunfire could also be heard.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province has lately increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.
The IS affiliate, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers. Since seizing power in Kabul and elsewhere in the country last August, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS in eastern Afghanistan.
In March 2020, a lone Islamic State gunman rampaged through a gurdwara in Kabul, killing 25 worshippers and wounding eight others. The gunman held many worshippers hostage for several hours, and among the dead was a child.
As many as 80 worshippers were trapped inside the gurdwara as the gunman lobbed grenades and fired an automatic rifle into the crowd.
With agency inputs
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