CHANDIGARH: Hours after a blast outside the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar, another explosion occurred outside an Army camp at Khasa in Amritsar late last night, as the state witnessed two back-to-back blasts. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were used in both incidents, and authorities suspect a planned strike by ISI-backed elements in Pakistan aimed at disturbing the situation ahead of the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The Khalistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the blast outside the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar, though police have not confirmed the claim. The outfit stated that the explosion was in retaliation for the encounter of the main accused in the killing of two security personnel in Gurdaspur’s Dorangla near the Indo-Pak border. The veracity of the claim circulating on social media could not be independently verified.
The first explosion occurred at around 8.15 pm in Jalandhar, outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier, while the second blast took place at around 11 pm near the Army cantonment in Amritsar. No injuries have been reported.
In the explosion outside the Army camp at Khasa in Amritsar, police said a section of the tin sheet covering the boundary wall was dislodged due to the blast. Following the incident, teams from the forensic and bomb disposal units visited the site to collect samples. Army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off. CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and stepped outside to see what had happened.
The state has witnessed three explosions in less than 10 days, targeting critical infrastructure and military installations. These include a blast near a railway track in Patiala on 27 April, followed by the twin low-intensity blasts near the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar and the Army cantonment in Amritsar on the night of 5 May, prompting a high alert across Punjab.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav visited the blast site at Khasa in Amritsar and held meetings with Army and BSF officials to review security measures in the border belt. He later visited the site opposite the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar.
Yadav stated that the incidents appeared to be planned strikes by ISI-backed anti-national elements in Pakistan, coinciding with the anniversary of Operation Sindoor. He added that Pakistan-based groups were attempting to create a false narrative portraying Punjab as a disturbed state, targeting youth and circulating videos of grenades before attacking vital installations and police establishments.
“We are in a state of proxy war with Pakistan, and being a border state, Punjab is at the forefront of this war unleashed against our country. The police have obtained vital clues, and a technical investigation is under way to identify and apprehend the suspects,” he said.
Yadav added that an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the law and that a coordinated investigation is under way with the Army and other agencies. Multiple teams are examining human intelligence, technical inputs and forensic evidence to determine the exact nature and origin of the blasts.
He further said that both recent blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar involved the use of IEDs, although any link between the two incidents has yet to be established. He also noted that no group has officially claimed responsibility for the incidents, but indicated a possible Pakistan link.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar (Rural), Suhail Mir Qasim, said police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. “Our teams arrived at the scene immediately. Preliminary inspections indicate that someone threw an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion,” he said.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet Singh is cooperating fully with the investigation. According to her, there was no prima facie evidence of foul play. “We have roped in teams from the BSF, who are working with our forensic experts to ascertain the exact cause of the blast. The owner of the two-wheeler is being questioned,” she added.
Meanwhile, witnesses said they heard a loud explosion and rushed out of their homes following the incident.