Two explosions occurred outside military complexes in two cities in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Monday night, within hours of each other. The incidents, still under investigation, did not result in any casualties but have put authorities in the border state on high alert.
The first explosion took place outside the Border Security Force (BSF) complex in Jalandhar at approximately 8:00 p.m. local time. A security camera captured the incident, showing a cloud of smoke and a man running for cover. The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged nearby shops, and a traffic signal.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed that a scooter parked near the gate suddenly caught fire. The man seen running for cover reportedly saw his scooter ignite and informed his father. Authorities said he is fully cooperating with the investigation.
The Times of India, citing a senior Punjab Police officer, reported that the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) claimed responsibility for the Jalandhar blast. The KLA is an armed separatist group active in Punjab, with alleged supporters abroad, including in Canada and Pakistan. India's Home Ministry designates it as a terrorist organization.
Authorities, however, stated it was too early to confirm whether the explosion was accidental or intentional, and are investigating all leads. Just hours after the Jalandhar incident, a loud noise was reported outside an army camp in Amritsar. Police found metal fragments embedded in the boundary wall, indicating an explosive device was thrown at the wall.
It remains unclear whether the two incidents are related. The explosions come days after a failed blast attempt in Patiala on April 27, where police arrested four members of a Pakistan-linked separatist group.
State opposition leader Sukhbir Singh Badal criticized the sitting chief minister for security lapses. "Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day," Badal wrote on X. "Continued intelligence failures and collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern."
The movement to create an independent Sikh nation, Khalistan, led to the deaths of tens of thousands in the 1980s and 1990s. The recent blasts and mentions of Khalistan serve as a grim reminder to Punjab's residents of a time when insurgency, violence, and extrajudicial killings were rampant in the state.
Source: www.dw.com