The killing of two police personnel at a border outpost in Punjab –Gurdaspur district near the Indo-Pak international border has put security agencies on high alert. Intelligence officials are viewing the incident as a possible strategic attempt to destabilize the state.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurnam Singh and Home Guard Ashok Kumar were shot dead on February 22 while on duty at a police post in Aadhiyan village, under the Dorangla police station jurisdiction. The outpost is located barely two kilometers from the international border.
According to reports, the village sarpanch discovered the bodies in the morning with bullet injuries. Postmortem examinations have confirmed that both personnel died due to gunshot wounds. Initial investigations suggest that the attackers entered the doorless room of the outpost and opened fire while the officers were asleep.
Notably, personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) were reportedly absent that day due to a departmental event, and the outpost lacked CCTV surveillance. Authorities believe the assailants were aware of these vulnerabilities, indicating a premeditated attack.
Following the incident, a little-known group calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) claimed responsibility on social media. Posters and videos circulated online described the attack as part of “Ghazwa-e-Hind” and attributed it to an “Al-Burk Brigade.” The group warned of further attacks on Indian security forces.
Meanwhile, Pakistan-based gangster Shehzad Bhatti shared a video allegedly showing the close-range shooting of a police personnel.
Although the name TTH resembles Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an Intelligence Bureau official clarified that no direct link has been established between the two. The officer described TTH as potentially a proxy outfit linked to Pakistan-based terror elements.
The Punjab Police has rejected the TTH claim and is investigating all possible angles, including cross-border terrorism, smuggling networks, and personal enmity.
The incident has raised serious concerns about security preparedness along the sensitive border belt and underscores the continuing threat posed by cross-border elements.
