Kabul, March 25 (Tolo News): At least 25 people were killed and more than eight others were wounded during an attack on a Sikh place of worship in the Shorbazar area of Kabul, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The incident began around 7:45 am local time in PD1 of Kabul city, and 80 people including women and children were rescued, according to the statement.
TOLOnews reporter Sharif Amiry said that explosions were heard in the area.
The security forces transferred victims of the attack by ambulance to hospitals.
Foreign troops have also responded to the attack, Amiry says.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sikhs and Hindus citizens have accused the government of being reckless and said that today’s bloody attack is the result of government failure.
Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban have denied involvement in it, but sources in the government blamed the Haqqani group for the attack.
Two years ago, Sikh citizens in Jalalabad were also targeted by a suicide attack.
Many of the injured from today’s Kabul attack have been taken to Emergency and Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan hospitals for treatment.
A number of families of the victims of the attack have described it as a clear crime “against humanity.”
One man, who lost seven members of his family in the attack but himself survived, says a suicide bomber fired at a man, woman, child and “showed no mercy to anyone.”
One of the men who lost his mother in the attack asked “what was his mother’s sin and why are the country’s minorities being targeted like this?
“Come and slaughter us if we harmed any Muslim,” said one of the victim’s relatives.
“What is our sin, come and tell us about our sins if we have done anything to Muslims,” said other relatives of the victims.
Harwinder Singh, who lost all seven members of his family but he alone survived, said that the attackers killed all his family members in front of his eyes.
“They (attackers) killed my mother and my wife with my small child with bullets in front of my eyes,” said Singh.
“They killed everyone, no one is left alive,” said Apar Singh, another victim.
A woman, who has been transferred to the hospital for treatment after she was wounded said there is no news of her family members who came today for prayer.
“All of your youths were killed, what should we do with the children that are left from the attack?” asked a wounded person.
The attack has sparked anger among residents.
“The attack showed that the they (attackers) don’t know any border and have no mercy on anyone and they are not obeying any law nor any religion,” said Mohammad Mustafa, a resident of Kabul.
“They don’t care about Muslims nor Hindus, it means humanity does not have any meaning for them,” said Haroon Rasouly, another resident of Kabul.
The attack has faced severe condemnation from both inside and outside the country.
