Gunmen attack a Sikh place of worship in Kabul. In Afghanistan, which is ruled by militant Islamists, life for the already tiny religious community is becoming increasingly dangerous.
A Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul was the target of a terrorist attack on Saturday.
According to the Taliban-led Interior Ministry, at least two people died. Information on the number of injured initially varied, local media reported up to 30 dead and injured, the ruling Taliban spoke of seven injured. The temple in the Karte Parwan district suffered significant damage, according to pictures provided by local journalists.
The Ministry of the Interior declared the operation against the attackers over, but security forces continued to search the site. Two bodies of the alleged attackers were found. The Taliban assumed that there were two perpetrators.
Multiple explosions and gunfire
According to Afghan politician and Sikh Anarkali Honaryar, the gunmen entered through the entrances and exits of the Gurudwara, the place of worship of the faith community. They threw hand grenades around, causing fire to break out. Video footage from inside the place of worship showed shattered windows and hanging wall coverings. Local media had reported multiple explosions and gunshots at the site. Video footage showed black smoke billowing from the building.
According to ministry spokesman Abdul Nafai Takur, a member of the Sikh community and a Taliban security force were among the dead. It was not known whether the attackers were killed by security forces or killed themselves. According to the spokesman, they had previously tried to detonate a car bomb in a crowd, but the bomb detonated too soon. Nobody was injured as a result.
Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Interior Ministry spoke of “rebels”. Sikh locations and members have repeatedly been similarly attacked by ISIS supporters. The militant Islamists are also deadly enemies of the ruling Taliban, although both groups are recruited from Sunnis and are ideologically close.
Religious minorities: Fewer than 60 members
According to Honaryar, fewer than 60 members of the Hindu and Sikh religious minorities still live in terror-stricken Afghanistan. Much of the supporters once based in Kabul had left the capital when the Taliban took power in August 2021.
Local politicians as well as the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India condemned the attack on Kabul’s Sikh community. The UN Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and protection for all minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh, Hasara and Sufis.
Some political observers interpreted the attack as a reaction to recent comments made by an Indian politician about the Prophet Mohammed, which IS considered offensive. After diplomatic rapprochement between the Afghan Taliban government and India, the IS propaganda mazagin “Voice of Khurasan” described the Taliban as “polytheistic” in an article published in English, i.e. accused them of worshiping many gods like in Hinduism.
Sikhism, on the other hand, is a monotheistic religion. The majority of their followers live in India, but they also represent a small religious minority there.
Source: Stern
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