Before the Khasa area blast, an explosion involving a scooter also occurred outside the BSF Punjab Frontier Headquarters in Jalandhar around 8.15 pm. An Activa scooty was gutted in a fire after the blast. It is yet to be ascertained if the explosives were planted in the scooty. The blast was so powerful that the airbags of vehicles passing through the area went off.
Amritsar Army camp blast
Upon receiving information about the Khasa Army camp blast, teams from both the Amritsar Rural and Urban Police along with Army units and bomb disposal squads, immediately rushed to the scene. The entire area has been cordoned off, and security arrangements have been significantly tightened. Forensic teams and dog squads also reached the site, and collected.
According to officials present at the scene, the explosion caused damage to the tin sheeting affixed to the outer wall of the Army camp. The forensic team also found fragments resembling a metal object on the boundary wall of the camp. Although the explosion caused no casualties or major structural damage, security agencies are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness. Security has been stepped up with heavy deployment of police and army personnel in the area.
What police said
The Punjab Police have confirmed that an unidentified person tried to throw an explosive device into the Army cantonment from the outside, triggering the blast.
Aditya Warrior, SP (Rural) Amritsar, said that upon receiving information regarding the explosion, immediate action was taken. He added that the matter is currently under investigation, and forensic teams are analysing the evidence.
The SP said that it is suspected that someone from the outside tried to throw an explosive device into the camp. According to preliminary information, masked individuals arriving on a motorcycle threw the explosive device before fleeing the scene, he added.
Upon hearing the sound of the explosion, military and police officials rushed to the site and immediately initiated an investigation. It is suspected that the attack was carried out using a grenade. A search operation has also been launched in the surrounding areas.
IED blasts
According to sources, a preliminary probe revealed that an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) was used in both blasts.
The site of the explosion in Amritsar is located in proximity to the BSF Khasa Camp, which is situated just a short distance away from the Army Cantonment area.