ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned a militant attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital of Kabul that killed at least one person and injured several others, the Pakistani foreign office said.
The attackers lobbed grenades when they stormed the temple, setting off a blaze in a section of the complex. Minutes later, a car bomb struck the area but no casualties were reported in its wake.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said two attackers were killed in an operation to secure the temple, with one Taliban fighter also killed.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul today, which has reportedly resulted in the loss of precious lives and injuries to many others while causing destruction of property,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan is seriously concerned at the recent spate of terrorist attacks on places of worship in Afghanistan. Yesterday, terrorists targeted the Imam Sahib Mosque in Kunduz, killing and injuring many worshippers” it said, adding that the targeting of religious places was “utterly repugnant.”
While the number of bombings across Afghanistan has dropped since the Taliban seized power in August, several fatal attacks have hit the country in recent months.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, but a regional affiliate of the Daesh (Islamic State) group, known as Daesh in Khorasan Province, has often carried out attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.
Islamabad expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and promised to support all efforts of the Afghan authorities for the protection of all their citizens.
