Kabul gurdwara attack
On 25 March 2020, ISIS gunmen and suicide bombers attacked the Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib (a Sikh shrine) in Kabul, Afghanistan.
| Kabul gurdwara attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | |
Kabul gurdwara attack (Kabul) | |
| Location | Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib, Shor Bazaar, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 34.512°N 69.187°E |
| Date | March 25, 2020 07:45 – 14:00 (AFT (UTC+04:30)) |
| Target | Sikhs |
Attack type | Shooting, suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 25 |
| Injured | 8+ |
| Perpetrators | Joint cell of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province and Haqqani network members |
| Assailants | Abu Khalid al-Hindi |
About 200 worshipers were reported to have been in the building, in which 25 Sikh worshippers were killed and leaving at least 8 wounded after an hour-long siege which ended in all assailants being killed by responding security forces. At least one child was said to have been among people who were killed, according to the ministry of interior's statement.
The Islamic extremist and militant organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has claimed responsibility. The gunmen were identified as Abu Khalid al-Hind and Murshid Mohammed T.K.J both Indian citizens from the state of Kerala. Abu Khalid al-Hindi whose real name is Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal and Murshid Mohammed T.K.J hail from Kasargod in Kerala, India and had joined ISIS like many others from his state. Owing to the large number of youth joining ISIS from Kerala, ISIS reportedly opened a Hind division to accumulate the Malayalam speaking fighters who had difficulty in communicating with other fighters.