CHANDIGARH: At least 3 people were killed and 20 others sustained serious injuries after two suspected terrorists hurled hand grenades at Nirankari Bhawan in Punjab’s Amritsar.
Security agencies have sounded a high alert in the national capital and Punjab. However, it was not immediately confirmed if the police were treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Home Minister Rajnath Singh condemned the attack that happened during a religious congregation of the Nirankari sect.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed his condolences and condemned the grenade attack at Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of deceased.
The chief minister has also directed Punjab home secretary and DGP intelligence and law to rush the spot.The attackers came on a bike and fled the scene after hurling grenades at the Nirankari Bhawan.
The NIA team also visited the blast site and held discussions with Punjab DGP and DG Intelligence, the media adviser to the chief minister added.
A religious congregation of the Nirankaris was being conducted inside the Nirankari Bhavan at the time of the incident. The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan lies close to the international airport.
On Friday and Saturday, the local police and intelligence agencies had issued a red alert saying that the group of JeM terrorists were “planning to move towards Delhi”.
