Blasts near BSF, Army establishments in Punjab spark security concerns; ISI angle under probe

Two explosions near key security establishments in Punjab within a span of three hours triggered a major security alert in the border state, with Punjab Police suspecting a possible Pakistan-backed attempt to create unrest ahead of the anniversary of Operation Sindoor.

The first blast occurred around 8 pm near the headquarters of the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar, while the second took place close to the Army cantonment area in Khasa near Amritsar around 11 pm. No casualties were reported in either incident, according to police officials.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said preliminary assessments pointed towards an attempt to destabilise the state and linked the timing of the incidents to the anniversary of Operation Sindoor.

“We assume that, as today is the Operation Sindoor anniversary, this is part of Pakistan’s ISI’s designs to cause disruptions in Punjab. Punjab is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the nation against Pakistan,” Yadav said.

The DGP said the explosion in Amritsar appeared to be a low-intensity blast and added that no organisation had formally claimed responsibility so far. However, he said the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) had claimed responsibility for the Jalandhar incident, though the claim was still being verified.

In Jalandhar, the explosion damaged a scooter parked outside the BSF headquarters, shattered windowpanes of a nearby shop and damaged a traffic signal pole. CCTV footage from the area reportedly showed an unidentified man running moments after the blast.

Police said the scooter belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who works as a parcel delivery agent in the area. Residents said they heard a loud blast-like sound before the vehicle caught fire.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said forensic teams had collected explosive residue samples from the site and sent them for laboratory examination.

“Our forensic teams have collected explosive swabs from here. We believe the blast was carried out using explosives,” she said, adding that investigators were examining CCTV footage and pursuing multiple leads.

Amritsar blast near cantonment raises alarm

In the second incident, Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim said police received reports of a loud sound near a road in Khasa late Tuesday night. Preliminary findings suggested that an explosive device had been hurled towards the boundary wall near the cantonment area.

The impact reportedly damaged part of a tin-sheet structure attached to the wall. Bomb disposal squads and forensic experts later visited both blast sites to collect evidence and assess the nature of the explosives used.

The incidents come less than two weeks after another explosion targeted a freight corridor railway track in Shambhu in Patiala district on 27 April. Punjab Police had then arrested four alleged members of a pro-Khalistan terror module allegedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Political blame game intensifies

The explosions quickly escalated into a political confrontation between the ruling AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) government in Punjab and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann described the incidents as “minor blasts” and accused the BJP of attempting to create instability in the state ahead of the next Assembly elections.

“The assembly elections are over in West Bengal, and they have said Punjab’s turn will come next. These minor blasts are part of their preparation for the Punjab Assembly elections,” Mann alleged.

In a later statement, Mann also claimed the incidents formed part of a deliberate attempt to destabilise Punjab after the state government passed its anti-sacrilege legislation.

The BJP strongly rejected the allegations.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra termed Mann’s remarks “condemnable” and accused him of politicising a sensitive security issue without waiting for the outcome of the investigation.

“Punjab is a sensitive border state and every statement made by the chief minister carries significance,” Patra said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.

Another BJP national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, alleged that the law and order situation in Punjab had deteriorated under the AAP government and cited previous incidents involving blasts, grenade attacks and gang violence.

Opposition parties in Punjab also criticised the state government over the incidents.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said repeated intelligence failures and the deteriorating law and order situation were matters of serious concern. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also termed the back-to-back blasts “deeply alarming”.