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Gunmen storm Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, 30 killed, 100 hurt

Thirty people were killed and nearly 100 injured on Tuesday evening when gunmen stormed the famous Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, capital of Gujarat.

Earlier officials sources had put the toll at 44 dead, but late in the night scaled down the figure, which now officially has been put at 25 dead and 77 injured.

But, sources in hospitals, where bodies have been brought, said 30 people have died and the toll could go up as some of the injured were in critical condition.

A government spokesperson, however, said only 31 persons have been injured in the attack, adding that 500 devotees were rescued.

Two of the injured belonged to the minority community and were identified as Anwar Mir and Abdul Mir.

The terrorists, believed to be three in number, first threw grenades in the complex and then started firing indiscriminately.

Confusion also prevailed on whether any devotees were still inside the temple with contradictory claims made by government officials and temple authorities

Temple spokesman Brahm Bihari Das said about 100 devotees were still inside the complex, adding the terrorists were holed up in different areas of the temple. He said the militants also seemed unaware of the temple layout.

But Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said no devotees were inside the temple complex.

Inspector General of Police (Gandhinagar) Pramod Kumar, however, said some 50 to 60 devotees were inside the temple, but were safe and away from the area where the militants were operating.

He added that the police were not making efforts to evacuate these devotees right now, as this would expose them to the terrorists holed up inside the temple complex.

The gunmen are believed to have entered the temple complex, which has four entrances, through gate nos 1 and 2, at around 1720 hours IST.

Security forces have surrounded the temple, situated about two km from the state secretariat, Gujarat Agriculture Minister Purushotam Rupala said.

Union Minister of State for Defence Harin Pathak said hospitals in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and teams of doctors have been kept in readiness to attend to the casualties.

The temple is a popular destination for people of the Swaminarayan sect and others, including foreigners.

It is located in a massive complex spread over 23 acres and is usually crowded in the evenings.

The head of the sect, Pramukh Swami, is safe in Sarangpur and is rushing to Gandhinagar. He is fifth successor to Lord Swaminarayan.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home I D Swami appealed to the citizens of Gandhinagar to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani is already in Gandhinagar, his parliamentary constituency.

With inputs from agencies

Complete Coverage: The Gujarat Temple Attack

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EXTERNAL LINKS
The Akshardham Temple
The Swaminarayan Sect

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