Punjab on High Alert After Twin Blasts: CCTV Visuals of Jalandhar Explosion Surface, Fresh Blast Rocks Amritsar

New Delhi: Punjab has been put on high alert after two separate blasts rocked Jalandhar and Amritsar within days, prompting heightened security measures and a multi-agency investigation into the incidents.

CCTV visuals from the Jalandhar blast, which surfaced on Tuesday, captured the moment a powerful explosion took place near the BSF Chowk area. The footage reportedly shows a scooter parked near the site moments before a sudden blast lights up the area, sending shockwaves through nearby localities.

The Jalandhar incident had triggered concerns among security agencies, with preliminary inputs indicating possible links to Pakistan-based handlers and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives. Investigators are analysing CCTV footage, forensic samples and local surveillance inputs to trace those involved.

Even as the probe into the Jalandhar explosion continues, another blast was reported late Tuesday night near the Khasa cantonment area in Amritsar.

According to police, the explosion occurred along the boundary wall outside the Army camp situated opposite the BSF’s Khasa camp on Attari Road. The sound of the blast was heard across a wide radius, leading to panic in the area and an immediate deployment of police and security personnel.

The blast occurred near Khasa Army Camp in Amritsar around 10:50 PM on May 5 involved motorcycle-borne individuals throwing an explosive, damaging a shed; no casualties reported.

Amritsar Rural SP Aditya S. Warrier said police received information regarding the suspected blast around 10:50 pm, following which senior officers, along with Army officials stationed in the cantonment area, rushed to the spot.

“The Bomb Disposal Squad conducted checks at the site while the FSL team collected evidence, which has been sent for sampling and testing. We are examining how many blasts occurred and the exact nature of the incident,” the officer said.

A forensic investigation is currently underway, and officials said further details would emerge only after the analysis is completed. When asked whether the Amritsar blast could be linked to the earlier Jalandhar explosion, SP Warrier said any connection between the two incidents could only be established after the investigation progresses.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, President of Shiromani Akali Dal, criticizes Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to maintain law and order amid three blasts in ten days, indicating intelligence failures. He claims the Aam Aadmi Party's governance is reversing Punjab's hard-won peace, urging blessings for Punjab and its people.

BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill criticizes the AAP government for political theatrics amid rising security concerns after two blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, warning of Punjab's dark future.

Bikram Singh Majithia, former Punjab cabinet minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader, expressed serious concerns over recent attacks, criticizing the state's law and order issues. He highlighted Punjab's border status and claimed national security is compromised under the current chief minister's leadership, whom he accuses of negligence and substance abuse. 

Majithia noted patterns of violence reminiscent of past decades, mentioning attacks on police stations and suggesting the temporary Director General of Police prioritizes politics over public safety.

He criticized the state's handling of investigations, alleging mischaracterization of incidents and a failure to address escalating violence. Majithia raised alarms over the potential cross-border influence on these attacks and lamented the decline in proactive law enforcement.

He highlighted recent infrastructure sabotage, particularly near sensitive military sites, and called for urgent reforms in governance and security protocols to restore order and protect communal harmony in Punjab.

Following the twin blasts, security has been tightened across sensitive installations in Punjab, particularly around cantonment zones and border-linked areas, as agencies continue their probe into the back-to-back explosions.

Teams from the NIA in Chandigarh are collaborating with Punjab Police on twin blasts in Punjab. The agency suspects a significant cross-border element influencing these attacks, particularly as they coincide with the Ops Sindoor Anniversary. The attackers aim to instill fear by targeting accessible facilities, with local radical groups allegedly backed by foreign handlers under ISI direction executing the plan.