Punjab twin blasts: What we know about the explosions near Amritsar cantt, BSF HQ in Jalandhar

Punjab twin blasts within hours have raised alarm across the state. Both blasts occurred in close proximity to defence establishments on Tuesday night (May 5).

The first incident occurred outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar at 8 pm, and within hours, the second blast was reported near the Khasa cantonment area in Amritsar. A high alert was sounded in Punjab following the twin blast incidents.

In a latest development, the Khalistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the Jalandhar BSF HQ blast. However, the police are yet to confirm the Khalistan Liberation Army post, CNN-News18 reported.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) steps in to probe explosions in Amritsar and Jalandhar; teams are en route to the explosion sites, according to news agency ANI.

More from Explainers

Grenade attack suspected outside BSF HQ in Jalandhar after scooter blast, probe on

We take a closer look.

First scooter blast in Jalandhar

It was around 8 pm when a scooter parked outside the main gate of the Border Security Force (BSF) caught fire. Several locals from the area allege they heard a loud blast-like sound, creating panic and chaos.

Blast's effect was felt up to almost 300 metres away. The car's windows and the shop's glass panes were completely smashed, with shards appearing on several other glass surfaces.

The video captures a massive explosion, and a nearby bystander is jolted by the impact, forcing him to run away in panic. However, according to cops, it was too early to confirm whether it was an explosion or an accidental fire.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said, "Prima facie, the facts are that an Activa (scooter) parked here (Jalandhar) caught fire. We are still verifying the facts on the ground."

The owner of the scooter that caught fire and later exploded has been identified as 22-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a courier delivery worker. Reports suggest that he sustained minor injuries.

Gurpreet's relative said that the vehicle caught fire when he was approaching his parked scooter. He then called his father and informed him about the matter.

Commissioner Kaur noted that it would be too early to say that the blast was part of any conspiracy. "We cannot confirm anything at the moment. We are investigating from all angles. If new details emerge, we will share them," she said, according to NDTV.

Security agencies, including forensic teams and bomb disposal units, were deployed, and the area was sealed off. Authorities said the youth is cooperating with the investigation. Fire officials added that the blaze was intense, requiring multiple water units to bring it under control.

Second blast outside BSF camp in Amritsar

Within two hours, 100 kilometres away, at around 10:50 pm, a suspected explosion was reported along the outer wall of the Army's Khasa Camp in Amritsar. Immediately after receiving information about the blast sound, cops and Army personnel rushed to the scene.

Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police said fragments, just like a sheet of metal, were discovered in the boundary wall from the site of the explosion, denoting that someone may have thrown an explosive device towards the wall, which resulted in the blast.

According to preliminary information, a masked individual carried out the attack and then escaped from the scene, NDTV reported.

However, Aditya Warrier, Amritsar Rural SP, refused to comment on the potential connection between both Jalandhar and Amritsar incidents

“We are verifying how many blasts occurred and the exact cause," Warrier asserted. He added that samples for detailed analysis have been sent and that no injuries were reported in the incident, the Times of India (TOI) reported.

Pakistan-based handlers under the lens in Jalandhar blast?

CNN-News18 reported, citing top intelligence sources, that the explosion, which set a scooter on fire near BSF Chowk, was the result of a grenade attack.

They told the media outlet that an investigation is ongoing to probe the possible links to Pakistan-based handlers as well as banned terror outfits operating through local criminals.

Sources have told CNN-News18 that what was initially thought to be a vehicle-related explosion is now being probed as a targeted attack.

Sources also said the incident is being viewed as part of a larger effort to destabilise the state.

Political slugfest on

Both these incidents prompted a political blame game, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab facing intense backlash from the opposition.

Bikram Singh Majithia, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary, condemned the blast and called it a "serious situation." He also alleged that the Punjab government has failed to maintain law and order.

"Just connect the dots... Just like grenade attacks are often downplayed as tyre bursts, here too the claim of a scooty blast suggests the start of a cover-up operation. Was the Commissioner able to complete the investigation so quickly? Has the forensic team already submitted its report? The cover-up seems to have begun the moment the blast occurred," Majithia wrote on X.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also called the "explosion" deeply alarming.

"...Punjab is a sensitive border state—such incidents raise grave national security concerns. Yet, while the AAP government is busy parading its MLAs before the President..." Raja wrote.

The twin incidents occurred just days after a blast attempt on a railway track in Patiala’s Rajpura area on April 27, in which the accused died during the detonation attempt, heightening fresh concerns about security in the border state.

With inputs from agencies