New Delhi: Suspected Taliban fighters entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan, the main Sikh shrine in Afghanistan capital Kabul, on Tuesday and damaged CCTV cameras and broke several locks, according to members of the Afghan Sikh minority.
Puneet Singh Chandhok, head of the Indian World Forum, who has played a role in facilitating the evacuation of members of Afghanistan’s Hindu and Sikh minorities, tweeted that armed men entered the gurdwara and “vandalised” it.
A member of the Afghan Sikh minority, Sardar Govind Singh, said in a video posted on social media that the armed men damaged most of the CCTV cameras at the gurdwara and broke open several locked doors.
Several posts on social media said the armed men who entered the gurdwara were believed to be Taliban members.
There was no official word from the Indian side on the incident.
{{/usCountry}}There was no official word from the Indian side on the incident.
{{/usCountry}}Soon after the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15, hundreds of members of the Sikh and Hindu minorities had taken refuge in Gurdwara Karte Parwan. Taliban commanders visited the gurdwara soon after the takeover of the country and assured Sikh leaders about the safety of members of the community.
Nearly 240 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus were, however, barred from entering Kabul airport to board the last military evacuation flight from the Afghan capital.
The Indian government has said it will take all steps to facilitate the evacuation of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus who want to leave Afghanistan.