India has expressed serious worry over an armed attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, on Saturday morning, and has said it is closely monitoring the situation.
According to some reports, the attack resulted in a number of casualties. Sikh elders in Kabul speculated that the attackers could be members of the Islamic State, which has carried out heinous crimes on Shias and Sikhs in recent years.
"The heinous attacks in Mazar & Kabul serve no purpose but to inflict further devastation on innocent Afghans who have suffered enough," Rina Amiri tweeted.
When a handful of Sikh worshippers were inside the gurdwara on Saturday morning, a group of unidentified armed men stormed the shrine. In video footage shared on social media, the sound of many explosions and shooting could be heard. Smoke billowed from the gurdwara in one footage.
We are deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Kabul about an attack on a sacred gurdwara in that city,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments,” he added.