At least two people were killed and seven others wounded in an attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital on Saturday (June 18), but there has been no immediate claim of responsibility.
Witnesses said a gunbattle broke out and then an explosion shook the area when a vehicle filled with explosives detonated before reaching its target. Smoke was seen billowing out over the area.
Taliban soldiers eventually secured the area
Sikhs are a tiny religious minority in largely Muslim Afghanistan, comprising around 300 family members before the fall of the country to the Taliban. Many had left the country in the wake of the takeover, according to community members and media reports. The Sikh community, like other religious minorities, has been the continual target of violence in Afghanistan. An attack claimed by the Islamic State at another temple in Kabul in 2020 killed 25.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers say they have secured the country since taking power in August, but international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in militancy remains. Multiple attacks have taken place in recent months, with some claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
(Reuters)