2 blasts within hours, one outside BSF HQ, another near Army cantonment: What happened in Punjab last night?

PUnjab was rocked by 2 blasts on tues nighttime, simply hours and near 90 kilometres apart, triggering an alarm in the state.A blast occurred outside the Punjab Frontier headquarters of the Border Security Force (BSF) at the mouth of the main city in Jalandhar, in an area which is called BSF Chowk. Just hours after that, another blast rocked near the army cantonment, this time 90 kilometres away in Amritsar, sending security agencies, already on their toes after the Jalandhar incident, into a frenzy.Blast in a two-wheeler in JalandharThe blast outside BSF’s Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar happened on Tuesday evening in a two-wheeler parked on the roadside. The authorities cordoned off the whole area as senior police officials rushed to the spot.The impact of the blast could be gauged from the fact that the mangled remains of the vehicle were scattered near the scene. While the Jalandhar Commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa said that prima facie, there was no foul play, the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) took responsibility for the blast through a social media post.The outfit claimed that the explosion was part of revenge for the encounter of the main accused in the killing of two security personnel in Gurdaspur’s Dorangla near the Indo-Pak border. HT couldn't verify the veracity of the social media post.“We have roped in teams of BSF, who are working with our forensic experts to know the exact reason behind the blast. The owner of the two-wheeler is being questioned,” Jalandhar CP Randhawa said. She added that the thorough investigation is underway.The Amritsar cantonment incidentJust hours after an explosion outside the BSF headquarters in Jalandhar, another blast-like incident was reported in Amritsar late at night.The incident occurred near the boundary wall of the Army cantonment along Khasa Road. The impact damaged a tin sheet installed on the wall, reportedly used to block visibility from outside.Amritsar Rural SSP Sohail Qasim Mir confirmed the blast and said that they received information about a loud noise in the area around 11:15 PM. Police teams were immediately dispatched to the location.Officials found that a section of the tin sheet had been hit and knocked down. Preliminary assessment suggests that an object may have been thrown at the wall, causing the sound. No injuries or significant damage were reported.Security agencies, including quick response teams, forensic specialists, and the bomb disposal unit, reached the site soon after. The collected material was sent for analysis to determine the nature and cause of the incident.A joint search operation involving the Army and BSF was launched to investigate the incident further.Amritsar police restricted public movement in certain areas on Wednesday to investigate the nature of the sudden blast. Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Karam Singh, while speaking to ANI, said, "I got to know that an explosion has taken place here. We'll close the road for surveillance."Politics heats upExpressing fear over the potential disruption of peace, Punjab Congress President and MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, in a post on X, wrote, "Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar—this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action."Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla also expressed concern over the incident and launched an attack on the Bhagwant Mann government.“Sri Amritsar Sahib is not only an important border area but also a major destination for thousands of tourists from India and abroad. An incident of this nature occurring near security agencies in such a sensitive region is a matter of grave concern for the national security system as well. The AAP government has so far failed to ensure the safety of the people of Punjab and has instead pushed the state into an environment of fear and insecurity. This is also negatively impacting the state’s economy, investment, and tourism. I request the Hon’ble Union Home Minister to immediately intervene in this matter and order a high-level and transparent investigation, ensuring that those responsible are given strict punishment as per the law. At the same time, it is extremely necessary to take effective and immediate steps to further strengthen security arrangements in the border state of Punjab,” he said.Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former state minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia has gone one step further than Aujla, urging the President of India to intervene in the matter.