Two killed in assault on Kabul gurudrawa | World News

A number of blasts tore by a gurdwara in Kabul on Saturday, killing two folks, together with a Sikh man, and injuring seven others in one other lethal incident in a spate of violence focusing on minorities and locations of worship within the nation.

Within the newest focused assault, Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul’s Bagh-e Bala neighbourhood was attacked early on Saturday morning and a gun battle lasting a number of hours between the attackers and Taliban fighters ensued, mentioned Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the inside ministry.

Three attackers had been killed by the Taliban fighters, the Pajhwok information company reported.

Whereas no organisation claimed duty for the assault, Takor confirmed that not less than one member of the Islamic Emirate forces and an Afghan Sikh nationwide had been killed within the incident. Seven others had been injured and hospitalised.

In keeping with the assertion from the inside ministry, an explosive-laden automobile aiming to focus on the place was thwarted earlier than reaching its aim.

The gurdwara was attacked early within the morning when as much as 30 folks had been inside, the BBC reported. Gray smoke billowed over the realm in pictures aired by home broadcaster Tolo.

Takor mentioned a automobile stuffed with explosives was detonated exterior of the gurdwara however that resulted in no casualties. First, the gunmen threw a hand grenade which prompted a hearth close to the gate of the gurdwara, the Related Press quoted the inside ministry spokesperson as saying.

“There have been round 30 folks contained in the temple,” mentioned a gurdwara official, Gornam Singh. Gurdwara authorities didn't know what to do, because the Taliban weren't permitting them inside, Singh mentioned.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for the Kabul police chief, mentioned the police operation ended after the final attacker was killed a number of hours later. “The safety forces had been in a position to act shortly to manage the assault and get rid of the attackers in a brief time frame to forestall additional casualties,” he mentioned.

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the terrorist assault. “Shocked by the cowardly terrorist assault towards the Karte Parwan Gurudwara in Kabul. I condemn this barbaric assault, and pray for the protection and well-being of the devotees,” he tweeted.

Exterior affairs minister S Jaishankar strongly condemned the “cowardly assault” and mentioned the federal government was intently monitoring the state of affairs following the incident.

“The cowardly assault on Gurdwara Karte Parwan must be condemned within the strongest phrases by all. Now we have been intently monitoring developments because the information of the assault was acquired. Our at the start concern is for the welfare of the group,” Jaishankar tweeted.

There was no fast declare of duty for the assault. Nonetheless, the assault is suspected to have been carried out by from ISIS Khurasan.

The Islamic State group often called the Islamic State in Khorasan Province has prior to now claimed duty for assaults on mosques and minorities throughout the nation.

“We heard an enormous blast in Kart-e-Parwan neighbourhood at round 6 am native time. The blast was adopted by one other explosion which occurred about half an hour after the primary blast. The entire place has now been sealed off,” China’s state-run Xinhua information company quoted a witness as saying.

The safety forces have cordoned off the realm for precautionary measures, he mentioned.

There have been lower than 700 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan on the time of the 2020 assault. Since then, dozens of households have left however many can not financially afford to maneuver and have remained in Afghanistan, primarily in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni, in keeping with AP.

Since taking energy in August, the Taliban say they've secured Afghanistan, though worldwide officers and analysts say the danger of a resurgence in militancy stays.

Sikhs are a tiny spiritual minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising about 300 households earlier than the nation fell to the Taliban. However many left afterwards, say members of the group and media.

Like different spiritual minorities, Sikhs have been a continuing goal of violence in Afghanistan.