Security forces in Afghanistan are battling militants who entered a Sikh temple with around 150 people in Kabul at 03:15 GMT on Wednesday, March 25. Some of the worshippers are rescued and causality numbers are still unknown. Around 25 people have been killed in Kabul when a single ISIS gunman stormed the temple.
Around two years ago the Islamic State targeted a Sikh gathering which killed 19 people. The Taliban has denied the involvement in the attack on Wednesday. Initially, no other militant group had taken responsibility for the incident in the temple it was reported that it was the ISIS gunmen who entered the temple.
The witnesses of the incident have reported that the temple has been sealed off by the forces. There were continuous gunfire and explosions being heard from the temple. The pictures published by the local media showed the security force-carrying people on a stretcher out of the scene. Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told AFP news agency said that there are people stuck inside the temple.
Afghan forces and the British forces
The lone attacker held the hostages while battling the Afghan forces. The security forces were accompanied by the British forces in Kabul. At least one child was killed during the incident inside the temple. The forces tried to clear the building as soon as the incident further. photographs released by the interior ministry show the forces rescuing the children from the site.
As soon as the news broke in the morning Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesman, tweeted that the Taliban was not responsible for the incident.
The Sikh minority has been facing a lot of discrimination in the country. They have been largely targeted by the militants and the ISIS. During the Taliban rule in the 1990s, the Sikhs were asked to wear yellow armbands to separate themselves from the rest of the public.
Political turmoil in Afghanistan
A Sikh MP in the Afghan parliament expressed concerns about the people hiding in the temple. They have reportedly switched off their phones. Afghanistan is presently experiencing a political dilemma where two people Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah had claimed victory during the Presidential elections. The US is also involved in the deadlock as they try to bring peace to the country by talking about peace with the Taliban militant group.
(This is a developing story and the timeline will be updated)
