Kabul Gurdwara Attack: India Grants E-visas to Over 100 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus in Afghanistan on Priority

New Delhi: A day after the deadly Sikh temple attack in Kabul, the Indian government on Sunday granted e-visas to over 100 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan on priority, said government sources as quoted by news agency ANI. At least two civilians, including a Sikh man and a Muslim security guard, died after unidentified assailants attacked a Gurudwara in Afghanistan’s Kabul city on Saturday.Also Read – Terrorists Attack Karte Parwan Gurdwara In Kabul; 1 Dead

Several explosions and gunfire ripped through the Sikh temple. However, there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Gunmen attacked the Sikh house of worship, known as a gurdwara, in Kabul and a gunbattle between the attackers and Taliban fighters ensued, said Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesperson for the Interior Ministry. Also Read – Suicide Bomber Kills 50 Worshippers During Friday Prayers At Kabul Mosque, Several Injured

He said security forces were able to stop the attackers before they were able to detonate a car bomb. Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the police operation ended after the last attacker was killed several hours later. He did not say how many attackers were involved. Also Read – Afghanistan Mosque Blast Leaves At Least 33 Dead, Dozens Injured

Zadran said one Sikh was killed and seven others were wounded in the attack, and a member of the Taliban security forces was killed during the rescue operation.

The IS affiliate, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, is seen as the greatest security challenge facing the country’s Taliban rulers. Since seizing power in Kabul and elsewhere in the country last August, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the IS in eastern Afghanistan.

In March 2020, a lone Islamic State gunman rampaged through a Sikh temple in Kabul, killing 25 worshippers, including a child, and wounding eight others. As many as 80 worshippers were trapped inside the gurdwara as the gunman lobbed grenades and fired an automatic rifle into the crowd.

There were fewer than 700 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan at the time of the 2020 attack. Since then, dozens of families have left but many cannot financially afford to move and have remained in Afghanistan, mainly in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni.

This is a breaking news story. More details awaited