KABUL: A group of armed militants at tacked a worship place belonging to the Sikh community, on Saturday.
The temple was partly damaged after the attackers armed with light weapons and packed with explosive devices detonated their ordnances at its entrance gate in the western part of Kart-e-Parwan area, leaving scores wounded and dead.
The attackers have also been shot dead during the harsh gunfire, according to the country’s ministry of interior.
A security personnel was also killed in the incident, according to the ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Nafay Takor.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in a tweet condemned the attack on civilians and Sikh community.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the enemies’ attack on the Sikh and Hindu community temple in Kabul,” said Mujahid adding that the IEA express its deepest condolence to the families of the victims.
He assured that serious actions will be taken to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the crime and to punish them seriously.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and called it a “terrorist incident.”
Karzai called for the start of a national dialogue to establish long-term peace and stability and pleaded for the country to be saved from suffering through the unity of all Afghans.
“I strongly condemn the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack on our Sikh community Gurdwara in Kart-e Parwan,” said Abdullah Abdullah, former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
Richard Bennett UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan in his twitter said, everyone has the right to live and worship in peace. “I strongly condemn attacks on Sikh & Sufi communities in Kabul and Kunduz”. Tomas Niklasson, Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan on a tweet said that “attacks on civilians must stop, minorities must be protected and the rights of all ethnic and religious groups (minorities and majorities) must be upheld.”
The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan on Twitter said that it strongly condemns the attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul, that is reported to have resulted in numerous casualties. Attacks on civilians must becaused immediately.” S.Naqibullah
Attack on Hindu-Sikh community widely condemned
