Civilian, several others killed in temple attack in Afghan capital

KABUL -- A civilian, a security forces member and several attackers were killed after an armed attack hit a Sikh-Hindu temple in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, according to the capital police.

There were also seven civilians injured in the attack.

Khalid Zadran, spokesperson of the Kabul police, said on social media that the attack on the temple ended after all the assailants were killed. However, he did not disclose the exact number of assailants.

The attack started early Saturday when the culprits armed with weapons hurled hand grenades at the gate of the temple in the Karte Parwan neighborhood, causing the two-story building to catch fire.

"We heard a huge blast which struck the gate of a temple in Karte Parwan neighborhood at around 6 a.m. local time. The blast was followed by two more explosions inside the temple," an eyewitness told Xinhua.

"The assailants also detonated a car bomb in the area, trying to target an aggregation of people and security forces, fortunately the vicious plan was thwarted by security forces and the car bomb blast did not cause any casualties," Abdul Nafay Takoor, spokesperson of the interior ministry, told reporters near the site.

The killed civilian was from the Afghan Hindu community, according to Takoor.

No group has claimed responsibly for the attack so far.

In March 2020, about two dozens of worshippers were killed when a Sikh-Hindu temple was attacked in downtown Kabul.