Punjab: Blast near Army Cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Two back-to-back explosions near key security establishments in Punjab’s Jalandhar and Amritsar on Tuesday night triggered panic and heightened security across the state.
The first incident occurred around 8 pm outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier Headquarters in Jalandhar, where a parked scooter caught fire following a blast. The second explosion was reported around 11 pm near the Army cantonment area on Khasa Road in Amritsar.
Police said no injuries have been reported in either incident, and investigations are currently underway.
In Amritsar, officials said preliminary findings suggest that an explosive object may have been thrown at the boundary wall of the cantonment, causing damage to a tin sheet structure. Forensic teams and bomb disposal squads were deployed to collect evidence, and the area was secured with assistance from Army personnel.
CCTV footage from the area captured a flash followed by smoke, while eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud sound late at night.
In Jalandhar, the blast destroyed a scooter belonging to a delivery worker and damaged nearby property, including windowpanes and a traffic signal pole. Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said the vehicle caught fire suddenly, and all angles are being investigated.
The incidents have sparked political reactions, with opposition parties criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over alleged lapses in law and order. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring both raised concerns over repeated security incidents and called for accountability.
Officials also referenced a recent explosion on April 27 near a rail track in Patiala, where arrests were made in connection with a suspected terror module.
Security has been tightened across sensitive areas in Punjab as agencies continue their probe into the twin blasts.
