A group of unidentified heavily armed men, suspected to be Taliban fighters, entered Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul and vandalized it and took people under their custody.
Puneet Singh Chandhok, President of the Indian World Forum, alleged that the unidentified officials destroyed the CCTV cameras of the Gurudwara and took the community sitting in the vicinity of the holy shrine in their custody.
The Karte Parwan Gurdwara is located on Kabul's northern outskirts. The Taliban had previously taken down the Nishan Sahib – Sikh sacred flag from the roof of a Gurdwara in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia region.
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"I have received alarming reports from Kabul. A group of unidentified heavily armed Taliban officials have entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul," Chandhok said.
"They have taken the community present in the Gurdwara into custody. It is being alleged by the locals on the ground that the officials have broken off the CCTV cameras of the Gurdwara and vandalising the Gurdwara currently," added Mr Chandhok.
Gurnam Singh, president of the gurdwara committee, spoke to Taliban intelligence officials over the incident, the Tribune reported.
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Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the persons who entered the gurdwara pretended to be Taliban officials, whereas Taliban leaders in the Afghan government had denied any link with the assailants.
Hundreds of Sikhs and Hindus, who are amongst the minority communities in the country, took refuge in the Gurudwara soon after the Taliban’s August 15 takeover of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Taliban leaders assured Sikh leaders regarding the safety of members of the community.
However, nearly 240 Sikhs and Hindus were barred from entering the airport when the evacuations were being carried out by different countries amidst the turmoil in Kabul.
