Two back-to-back blasts near security establishments created panic in Punjab on Tuesday night and drew sharp reactions from opposition parties, which described the incidents as attempts to “destabilise” the state.
The first blast took place around 8 pm in Jalandhar outside the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier’s headquarters. The second explosion was reported around 11 pm near the Army cantonment area in Amritsar.
Police said no injuries were reported and probe into both incidents is ongoing. Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim said police received information about a loud sound around 11 pm on a Khasa road and teams reached the spot immediately.
According to the SSP, initial investigation suggested that an explosive device was thrown towards the boundary wall, which caused the blast. Police said a portion of the tin sheet covering the boundary wall was damaged and fell due to the impact of the explosion. After the incident, forensic experts and a bomb disposal squad reached the site and collected samples for examination.
According to Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who inspected the location, further investigation was continuing. Police further said Army officials also assessed the situation and the area was later cordoned off for security reasons.
CCTV footage from the area showed the explosion taking place late at night. A local resident said his family woke up after hearing a loud sound and stepped outside to understand what had happened. The footage showed a cloud of smoke, and an unidentified person was seen running for cover after the blast.
The explosion destroyed a scooter and damaged a traffic signal pole along with windowpanes of a nearby shop. Local residents said the scooter parked outside the BSF headquarters caught fire soon after the loud explosion. The vehicle belonged to Gurpreet Singh, a parcel delivery worker in the area.
Speaking to mediapersons, a relative of Gurpreet said the scooter caught fire just as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said an Activa scooter parked near the gate suddenly caught fire and confirmed that Gurpreet Singh is cooperating with the inquiry. Witnesses in the area also reported hearing a loud explosion at the time of the incident.
Opposition parties criticised the AAP government after the blasts and raised concerns over law and order in the state. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, over the incidents. He shared in a post on X, “Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office.”
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also criticised the state government. He shared in a post on X, "Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action.”
Earlier, on April 27, an explosion had taken place on a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala district. Police later apprehended four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module allegedly backed by Pakistan’s ISI in connection with that blast.
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