Muristek
On Saturday morning, several blasts and gunfire hit a Sikh Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, according to media reports. The blasts occurred in the Karta Parwan area of Kabul, Tolo news tweeted along with the video after the blasts. Gunfire was also reported from the area.
The casualties in the blast were unknown.
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, The Associated Press reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The 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.
"We heard a huge blast in Kart-e-Parwan neighbourhood at around 6 a.m. local time. The blast was followed by another explosion which occurred about half an hour after the first blast. The whole place has now been sealed off," China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an eyewitness as saying.
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 is fear of possible casualties. Several warning shots were also fired by the security forces," he added.
Community leaders estimate just 140 Sikhs remain in the Taliban-ruled country, mostly in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital Kabul.
MEA 'closely monitoring' the situationIndian Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the stranded, injured and killed people in the Gurudwara. MEA, in a tweet, said that they are closely monitoring the situation.
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 Similar incident took place in October 2021Several months after Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, unknown gunmen had stormed the same Gurudwara, vandalising the property. Since then, the Afghan Sikhs have been appealing to the Indian government for the rescue. Reportedly, at least 150 Afghan Sikhs are still stranded in the country.
In March 2020, the ISIS terrorist group killed at least 25 people from the Punjabi community after they open fired at the Gurudwara Guru Har Rai Sahib in Kabul.