A group of unidentified gunmen stormed a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday and opened fire.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor confirmed on Twitter that the attackers were from ISIS Khursan and had been killed but 7 people were severely wounded.
As per Reuters, a Taliban spokesman explained that the attackers were planning to drive a car loaded with explosives into the area but it exploded before they reached their target.
According to India World Forum President Puneet Singh Chandhoke, two people were killed in the attack. Ahmed, a security guard and Sawinder Singh, 60, were shot by the gunmen.
Gurdwara Karte Parwan, a place of worship for Sikhs was attacked around 6 a.m. local time when the first prayers of the day had just begun. It was believed that almost 30 people were taken as hostages on the second floor of the temple, Tribune India reported.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an Indian politician spoke to the President of Karte Parwan, Gurnam Singh, who confirmed the chain of events.
The temple complex was completely destroyed as the security guards attempted to put up a fight against the terrorists. Eye witness accounts reported 4 blasts in a row coming from the temple early Saturday morning, with claims that many more people might have died.
"There were around 30 people inside the temple. We don't know how many of them are alive or how many dead. The Taliban are not allowing us to go inside," said a local official, Gornam Singh.
Several people who came out of the temple were rushed to the hospital.
External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar, strongly condemned the incident calling a "cowardly attack," on a sacred place. MEA officials stated that they are closely monitoring the attack and will act accordingly if the situation demands.
A similar attack was carried out by ISIS militants in Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul in 2020, which killed 25 people and wounded 8. Approximately 200 worshippers were inside the building when the militants broke in and opened fire.
