Suicide bombers attack Kabul gurdwara, 25 dead

Kabul, March 25

Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers blasted their way into a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding 8, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the strife-torn country.

The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar at 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building, the authorities said. “At least 25 people were killed and 8 wounded in the attackl,” TOLOnews quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying.

“All four suicide bombers were killed after six hours of fighting,” it said in a tweet. Eighty persons, including women and children, were rescued. Former President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and expressed his condolences, the report said.

The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press News Agency reported.

Pictures of the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital. The police in Kabul said at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara.

Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalisa told the media that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack.The only representative of the Sikhs in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack.

“I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside,” Khalisa was quoted as saying. “Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area. A number of people have been rescued,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.

War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country.

The attack comes a day after the US said it would cut aid to the government by USD 1 billion over frustrations that the political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. PTI