Daily Times

Gunmen and suicide bombers have stormed a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital Kabul and were locked in a continuing battle with security forces, the Ministry of Interior has said.

Security forces cordoned off the area, located in old Kabul, and were trying to counter the attack, which began at 7:45am local time, Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian said in a message to journalists.

Four suicide attackers were also killed in the operation against them, said Afghan National Army Commando Corps’ official.

Up to 200 people were believed to be trapped inside the complex, a member of parliament said.

Afghan security forces had blocked off the area and were taking on the attackers, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a message to journalists.

It was not immediately clear how many attackers there were or who they were. It was not known if there were any casualties.

At a Kabul hospital, Mohan Singh, who was in the Gurdwara when the attack began, told AP he first heard the sound of gunshots and dove for cover under a table. Later, he heard the sound of explosions, adding that he believes they were hand grenades. He was injured when parts of the ceiling fell on him.

In photographs shared by the interior ministry, about a dozen children were seen being rushed out of the Gurdwara by Afghan special forces, many of them barefoot and crying.

Khalsa later told Reuters News Agency that many people were still inside the building. “The gunmen started their attack at a time when the Dharamsala was full of worshippers,” he said, referring to a sanctuary area in the temple compound.

Another Sikh member of parliament said there were “about 150 people inside the temple”.

Afghan security forces had cleared one floor of the temple, the Interior Ministry said, adding that they were advancing cautiously to avoid further casualties.

“There are about 150 people inside the temple. Families are living there and they usually gather to offer prayers in the mornings,” said Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, a Sikh MP in the Afghan parliament.