Saturday’s attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital of Kabul resulted in at least two deaths and seven injuries, according to officials, but no immediate claim of responsibility has been issued.
Tolo aired images depicting the region being engulfed in a grey haze of smoke. A Taliban spokesman for the interior stated that attackers had loaded a car with explosives, but the vehicle exploded before reaching its intended target.
He added that Taliban authorities were securing the site.
An official of the temple, Gornam Singh, stated that there were about thirty people inside. We do not know how many are alive and how many are dead.
Singh told Reuters that temple officials did not know what to do because the Taliban would not allow them inside.
A spokesman for the commander of Kabul stated that his forces had seized control of the area and expelled the attackers. He added that one Sikh worshipper and one Taliban fighter had been killed during the clearing operation.
The Taliban assert that they have secured Afghanistan since assuming power in August, even though international officials and analysts warn of the possibility of a resurgence of militancy.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months.
Sikhs are a tiny religious minority in predominantly Muslim Afghanistan, with approximately 300 families before the Taliban takeover. According to community members and the media, however, many subsequently left.
Similar to other religious minorities in Afghanistan, Sikhs have been a constant target of violence. In 2020, Islamic State claimed responsibility for a 25-person temple attack in Kabul.
The foreign ministry of India expressed concern over the reported attack. Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement, “We are closely monitoring the situation and awaiting further details.”
