Terror attacks rock Punjab; two explosions within gap of few hours

JALANDHAR: Two explosions have taken place within a few hours near military installations in Jalandhar and Amritsar in the bordering state of Punjab. The explosions took place near the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar and on the premises of the Khasa army camp in Amritsar. No casualties have been officially reported from either location.

The Khalistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the explosions. In a letter, the group stated that the blasts were carried out to avenge the death of Khalistani terrorist Ranjit Singh, who was killed by the Punjab police during an encounter that took place in Gurdaspur in February. The group also claimed that two BSF constables were killed and three others were injured in the blasts. However, official sources said these claims are not true.

The first explosion happened at the BSF Chowk in Jalandhar around 8 pm on Tuesday. A scooter parked in a busy area suddenly exploded. The impact was felt up to 300 meters away. The windows of a car and a nearby shop were damaged. Police are questioning the scooter’s owner, Gurpreet Singh, a delivery agent. The second explosion took place around 10:50 pm, about two hours after the first, near the Khasa military camp in Amritsar.

Bomb disposal teams and forensic experts have collected samples and evidence from the sites. Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said it is too early to confirm whether sabotage was involved, and more details will emerge only after a thorough investigation. Punjab Police and central agencies are jointly conducting the probe.