Multiple blasts and gunshots have swept through a Sikh temple in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, killing at least one individual and injuring seven more.

No one immediately claimed credit for the incident on Saturday.

Abdul Nafi Takor, a Taliban-appointed spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, stated that shooters stormed a Sikh temple in Kabul, known as a gurdwara, resulting in a battle with security personnel.

A car containing explosives exploded outside the temple, but no deaths were reported. "First, the gunmen threw a hand grenade near the gate, igniting a fire," he claimed.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the chief of police in Kabul, stated that the police operation finished many hours after the last attacker was slain. He did not specify the number of attackers.

One Sikh was killed, and seven others were injured in the attack, while a Taliban security official was murdered during the rescue attempt, according to Zadran.

"The security forces were able to act quickly to control the attack and eliminate the attackers in a short period of time to prevent further casualties," he said.

Social media videos depict black smoke billowing from the temple in Kabul's Bagh-e Bala neighborhood and audible shooting.

Afghan Sikh population

Sikhs are a religious minority in predominantly Muslim Afghanistan, with approximately 300 family members before the Taliban's August 2001 takeover.

According to community members and media accounts, many fled the nation in the coup's aftermath.

In Afghanistan, the Sikh community has been the constant subject of violence. In 2020, Daesh claimed responsibility for an attack at another temple in Kabul that left 25 dead.

The Indian foreign ministry was "deeply concerned" over allegations of an incident on Saturday.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for further details on the unfolding developments," Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, said earlier in the day.

Recently, a regional affiliate of the terrorist organization Daesh has expanded attacks on mosques and minorities around the country.

It has been active in Afghanistan since 2014 and is seen as the most significant security threat to the Taliban regime.