kabl (TIP): A day after the Taliban regime urged its minority communities to return claiming to have addressed their security concern, a bomb reportedly exploded near the main gate of GurdwaraKarteParwan in Kabul, Afghanistan. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

A month ago, a deadly terror attack was executed by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) at the gurdwara claiming two lives, including a Sikh, and leaving the holy place vandalized.

Puneet Singh Chandok, president of India World Forum said that the explosion occurred in a shop selling herbal medicines owned by an Afghan-origin Sikh family. “It was an alarming development that the explosion occurred in broad daylight targeting a shop owned by a Sikh ‘hakim’, located in a lane near the gurdwara. The members of Sikh and Hindu community are safe,” he said. A video also went viral in which the owner of the shop selling herbal medicines explained that a ‘time bomb’ was planted at his shop when he was away to have lunch at another place. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan.

All claims of the Taliban, that assumed charge of Afghanistan since 2021, fall flat if the repeated attacks on minorities is any indication. It is learnt that around 167 Sikhs and Hindus lived in trouble torn Afghanistan since Taliban took over. Five among them do not possess passports. They all had applied for e-vias (emergency visas). This number has decreased with the Indian government issuing e-visas to facilitate their safe evacuation. (TNS)