Explosion Near Army Cantonment in Amritsar Sparks Security Alert
Blast Incident in Amritsar
Forensic experts inspect the blast site close to the Army cantonment area at Khasa, in Amritsar, on Wednesday. (Photo:PTI)
Chandigarh, May 6: A significant explosion occurred late Tuesday night near the army cantonment in Khasa, Amritsar, prompting an immediate security response.
Police reports indicate that the blast happened around 11 PM when an explosive device was reportedly thrown towards the boundary wall. The explosion caused part of a tin sheet covering the wall to collapse, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The incident created panic in the vicinity, damaging a scooter, a traffic signal pole, and the windowpanes of a nearby shop.
Suhail Mir Qasim, Senior Superintendent of Police for Amritsar (Rural), stated that police teams were dispatched to the scene promptly after receiving reports of a loud noise.
"Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he confirmed. A forensic team and bomb disposal unit later arrived to gather evidence, and an investigation is currently underway.
Authorities noted that army officials also evaluated the situation, leading to the area being cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the area captured the explosion occurring at night. A local resident mentioned that the loud noise woke his family, prompting them to investigate.
Witnesses reported that the scooter, parked outside the BSF headquarters, caught fire shortly after the explosion. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who frequently delivers parcels in the area.
One of Gurpreet's relatives shared with the media that the scooter ignited as he approached it, prompting him to call his father to inform him of the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed that an Activa scooter parked near the gate unexpectedly caught fire. She added that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
This incident in Amritsar occurred nearly three hours after a similar explosion outside the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar around 8 PM.
Previously, on April 27, an explosion took place at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu, Patiala, leading to the arrest of four individuals linked to a pro-Khalistan terror module supported by Pakistan's ISI.
In response to these events, opposition parties have criticized the AAP government for its management of the situation.