Gunmen storm Sikh temple in Kabul assault

KABUL: Gunmen stormed a SikhHindu temple in central Kabul yesterday and were locked in an ongoing battle with security forces, an official said, in the latest assault on the Afghan capital. The attack comes as Afghanistan is facing myriad crises including a raging insurgency, political deadlock, a massive cut in US aid, a flailing peace process and rising coronavirus cases. “At around 7:45 am (0315 GMT), a number of attackers entered a Hindu-Sikh temple,” interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told AFP. “People are stuck inside the building and (security forces) are trying to rescue them.”

The Taleban denied any involvement in the attack. While no other group immediately claimed responsibility, Islamic State jihadists frequently orchestrate assaults on the country’s religious minorities. “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 member of the Afghan parliament. “Some people inside the temple are hiding and their phones are off. I am very concerned.”

IS has a history of targeting Afghan Sikhs and Hindus including a suicide bombing in Jalalabad in July 2018 that killed 19 people and wounded 21. Around 1,000 Sikhs and Hindus are estimated to reside in what is otherwise an overwhelmingly

Muslim nation. Earlier this month, IS militants killed 32 people and wounded dozens more in an attack at a political gathering in Kabul.

Aid cut

To add to the country’s woes, Washington slashed the amount of aid to the country this week. The decision came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also is proclaiming himself president following a contested election. Pompeo, who lashed out at their “failure” to come to an agreement, said the US would immediately cut $1 billion and was “prepared” to pull another $1 billion in 2021, with further cuts possible after that.

The US and the Taleban signed a