Unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurudwara (Dharamsal of Shor Bazar) in PD1 of Kabul on Wednesday March 25, 2020, killing at least 26 worshippers and 11 (8 woman and 3 men) wounded,  in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country. The dharamsal of Shor Bazar is the main venue for public religious ceremonies for the Hindu and Sikh community in Kabul. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area in Kabul, at about 7:45 a.m. (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. Sikh MP Nardendar Singh Khalisa told reporters close to the scene that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurudwara when it came under attack. The Islamic State also known as Deash via its online Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for the attack. The body of the attacker has been identified as that of an Indian national from Kerala, one Muhammad Muhsin who was reported to have joined ISKP in 2018 with the name of Abu Khalid al-Hindi.The group carried out an attack in June 2018 in eastern Nangarhar province in which at least 19 people mostly Sikh minority were killed. Two gurdwaras (Sikh temples) remaining operational in Afghanistan: one in. Kabul, another in Jalalabad. The last remaining Gurdwara in Lashkar Gah, Helmand,  is in an unknown status.(20200325)

Background:
Despite having separate histories, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are nowadays usually referred to as a single community, and indeed they share places of worship, an elected MP in the parliament and a place in society. The Hindu presence in the country dates back to the pre-Islamic period: Kabul, for example, was the seat of a dynasty of Hindu rulers between 9^th and 11^th century. After the Muslim conquest and conversion of most people in the territories making up modern Afghanistan, other Hindus moved to Afghanistan in various capacities, from slaves to governors. However, the current community originates mainly from merchants and public servant whose destinies were closely intertwined with the Afghan state since its inception in mid-18^th century.