Punjab on alert after blast outside Jalandhar BSF HQ, Amritsar camp targeted

Panic spread in Punjab's Jalandhar after an explosion outside BSF headquarters, where a parked delivery scooter caught fire and went up in flames. No casualties were reported. Police are probing the cause, examining CCTV footage, and questioning the rider as investigations continue.

In Short

• Eyewitnesses heard a loud blast-like sound before flames engulfed the vehicle
• People in the busy area ran for safety as the explosion took place
• Police and fire teams reached promptly and began controlling the blaze

Two back-to-back explosions rocked areas near Border Security Force (BSF) establishments in Punjab's Jalandhar and Amritsar, including one close to the BSF headquarters in the border state. While no casualties have been reported so far, Punjab Police and central agencies have launched an intensive investigation, and security has been heightened across the state.

The first blast occurred near the BSF headquarters at Jalandhar’s BSF Chowk when a parked scooter exploded in the busy locality. Eyewitnesses said the scooter caught fire moments after the explosion, triggering panic as people in the area ran for safety.

Hours later, late on Tuesday night, a second explosion took place in the Khasa area of Amritsar outside an Army camp located near BSF installations. Preliminary suspicion points to a motorcycle-borne assailant allegedly hurling a grenade at the site. The area is situated around 15 kilometres from the Attari-Wagah international border.

Amritsar Rural Police SP Aditya Warrier confirmed that the blast occurred between 10.30 pm and 11 pm outside the Army camp. Police and Army personnel were immediately rushed to the spot. “We are verifying the exact details. Forensic teams are also at the site and all aspects are being examined,” he said.

Exclusive CCTV footage from Jalandhar accessed by India Today captured the moment of the explosion, with flames erupting instantly and debris scattering across the road. A man standing near the scooter was seen running away immediately after the blast. Officials suspect some of the scattered fragments could be parts of the scooter itself.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said it was too early to draw conclusions. “Prima facie, the facts are that a scooter parked here caught fire. We are still verifying the situation on the ground,” she said.

She added that the scooter driver and another individual are being questioned, while CCTV footage from the area is being examined to determine the sequence of events.

According to PTI, the scooter rider has been identified as 22-year-old Gurpreet Singh. A relative told reporters that Gurpreet works as a delivery agent and visits the area daily to drop off parcels. On Tuesday evening, as he approached his parked scooter, it suddenly caught fire. He immediately called his father to inform him about the incident, the relative added.

The opposition parties have targeted the ruling AAP government over the incident.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that an "explosion" near the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar is deeply alarming.

In an X post, he said, "A blast in a delivery scooter in a crowded area exposes a serious collapse of law and order. Punjab is a sensitive border state; such incidents raise grave national security concerns. Yet, while the AAP-led Punjab government is busy parading its MLAs before the President, the BJP-led Centre is equally distracted and failing in its responsibility to ensure security. People deserve safety, not political theatre."

Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, along with other senior officials, reached the spot to assess the situation.

A forensic team, along with dog and bomb squads, was also deployed at the site as part of the investigation.

Kaur said the man is fully cooperating with the probe and, according to his statement, the scooter caught fire suddenly.

Responding to questions about whether the incident could be part of a conspiracy, she said it was too early to draw any conclusions.

“We cannot confirm anything at the moment. We are investigating from all angles. If any new details emerge, we will share them,” she was quoted by PTI.

Authorities have not confirmed the nature of the explosion, and the exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

- Ends