gurdwara: Unidentified armed men ransack gurdwara in Kabul | India News – Times of India

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AMBALA: In first such incident of trespass into a Sikh shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan, since the Taliban takeover in August, a group of unidentified armed militants barged into Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita, Karte Parwan, and ransacked the premises in broad daylight on Tuesday.
The armed militants barged into the gurdwara around 3.10 pm after handcuffing two private guards. They damaged CCTV cameras and broke locks of the doors of the basement and office of the management committee of the gurdwara.

In a CCTV recording from the office of the gurdwara, five-six persons, including three armed with assault rifles, are seen opening and searching drawers.
Afghan Sikh Gobind Singh from Kabul released a video purportedly showing the damaged CCTV cameras and locks at the gurdwara.
Singh said they received a call about 4 pm that some unknown men entered the gurdwara at Karta-E-Parwan and damaged cameras and broke locks. “They tied hands and feet of chowkidars (guards) and entered the gurdwara.”
Another Sikh man from Kabul said about 3.10 pm, 10-15 armed men entered the gurdwara. “They damaged the cameras and searched the gurdwara. They did not commit any sacrilege with the bir (scripture) of Baba Ji (Sri Guru Granth Sahib). It seems that they were robbers but went empty-handed.”
Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita management committee president Gurnam Singh confirmed everything is fine inside and the sangat (community) is safe.
Indian World Forum (IWF) president Puneet Singh Chandhok said an intelligence team of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) reached the spot. “The president of the gurdwara committee, along with others, registered their protest with the team. Primarily, intelligence officials on the spot have said that they are verifying the identity of the attackers and the brain behind the incident.”
In a tweet, IWF’s Chandhok sought Indian government’s intervention for the safety of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs. “Alarming reports from #Kabul. Unidentified armed forces entered Gurdwara Karte Parwan. They not only abused the sanctity of the holy place but also vandalised it. Requesting intervention of @narendramodi ji @MEAIndia for safety & well being of our #Hindu #Sikh brethren living there,” he wrote on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said in a Twitter post that the “heavily armed people” pretended to be “Taliban officials” to enter Gurdwara Karte Parwan Sahib in Kabul. “But Taliban leaders in Govt have refused sending any such officials to Gurdwara (sic),” his post read.
Suhail Shaheen, the IEA permanent representative designated to United Nations, said, “Protection of minorities is our policy and that they can perform their rituals freely.”

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