Blasts in Kabul gurdwara leaves 2 dead; 7 injured

Kabul: Several blasts tore through a gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday, killing two persons, including a Sikh, and injuring seven others, while Afghan security personnel thwarted a bigger tragedy by stopping an explosive- laden vehicle from reaching the place of worship of the minority community in the war-torn country.

In the latest targeted assault on a place of worship of the Sikh community in Afghanistan, Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighborhood was attacked early Saturday morning and a gun battle lasting several hours between the terrorists and Taliban fighters ensued, said Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry.

Three attackers were killed by the Taliban forces, the Pajhwok news agency reported. Takor confirmed that at least one member of the Islamic Emirate forces and an Afghan Sikh national were killed in the incident. Seven others were injured and hospitalised. According to the statement from the Interior Ministry, an explosiveladen vehicle aiming to target the place was thwarted before reaching its goal.

Takor said a vehicle full of explosives was detonated outside of the gurdwara but that resulted in no casualties. First the gunmen threw a hand grenade which caused a fire near the gate of the gurdwara, the Associated Press quoted the Interior Ministry spokesman as saying.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the police operation ended after the last attacker was killed several hours later. “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. “The cowardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan should be condemned in the strongest terms by all. We have been closely monitoring developments since the news of the attack was received. Our first and foremost concern is for the welfare of the community,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

However, the attack is suspected to have been carried out by from ISIS Khurasan. mThe Islamic State group known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province has in the past claimed responsibility for attacks on mosques and minorities across the country. The security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures, he said.

The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic, the witness said. There were less than 700 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan at the time of the 2020 attack. Since then, dozens of families have left but many cannot financially afford to move and have remained in Afghanistan, mainly in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni. Since the Taliban took power in August last year, the country has seen continuing attacks by rival Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State. Saturday’s incident is the latest targeted attack on a place of worship of a minority community in Afghanistan. —PTI