Two Punjab Policemen Shot Dead at Border Outpost, Obscure Outfit Claims Responsibility
In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through Punjab's security apparatus, two policemen were shot dead by unidentified assailants inside a police outpost in Adhian village of Gurdaspur district. The location is barely a kilometre from the sensitive Pakistan border, raising immediate alarms about the security preparedness in this volatile region.
Brutal Attack at Police Outpost
According to police sources, the attackers stormed the police post sometime on Saturday night and opened fire without warning. The victims, ASI Gurnam Singh and home guard jawan Ashok Kumar, both in their early 50s, were found with no signs of having had any opportunity to react or defend themselves. Investigators discovered six spent casings at the scene, indicating the cold-blooded nature of the execution.
Shockingly, the killings went undetected for days until Thursday morning when Banarasi Das, the Dorangala Station House Officer, grew concerned after repeatedly failing to reach the two policemen by phone. He contacted Kamaljit Singh, the sarpanch of Adhian village, to check on their welfare.
Gruesome Discovery
Kamaljit Singh described the haunting scene he encountered around 8am. "The ASI appeared to be sitting upright on a chair with both hands in his pockets, while the home guard was lying under a quilt on the cot," he recounted. "At first glance, nothing seemed unusual, but a closer look revealed the horrifying truth." The sarpanch immediately alerted the SHO, who rushed to the spot with his team, triggering a major police response.
Senior officers including SSP Gurdaspur Aditya and DIG Border Range Sandeep Goel quickly arrived at the scene. The bodies were sent to Gurdaspur Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination as forensic teams began their meticulous work at the crime scene.
Terror Group Claims Responsibility
On Sunday evening, posters attributed to an obscure outfit calling itself Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) surfaced on social media, claiming responsibility for the murders. The posts, presented in both Hindi and English to reach a wider audience, featured an emblem, a flag, and images of the two slain policemen.
The TTH statement declared: "Another success was achieved in Ghazwa-e-Hind, during which Al-Burq Brigade of Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan attacked Dorangala police station in Gurdaspur... Such attacks will continue against Indian government uniform officials with more intensity."
Security Concerns in Sensitive Border Region
The incident has raised grave concerns about security in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts, which are regarded as highly sensitive due to their history of terror attacks. On July 27, 2015, Pakistan-based terrorists targeted Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur, and on January 1, 2016, a similar strike was carried out at Pathankot Air Force Base. In both cases, the terrorists were suspected to have infiltrated through the international border in Gurdaspur district.
Adding to the concerns, the sarpanch revealed that although CCTV cameras had been installed on the road leading to the police post, they had not been functioning for quite some time, creating a significant security gap.
Police Investigation Underway
SSP Gurdaspur Aditya confirmed that the attackers haven't been identified yet. "We are probing all angles," he stated, acknowledging that TTH was an "unfamiliar organization" until this incident. DIG Sandeep Goel added, "We are looking into the crime from all possible angles, including potential terror and gangster links." He expressed confidence that the case would be cracked soon, noting that police have "vital clues."
Police have sealed the entire area and multiple units are examining every possible angle—from gangster involvement to potential terror or cross-border connections. Authorities are carefully verifying the authenticity of the TTH claim, cautioning that such claims sometimes prove to be false or misleading.
Political Reaction
Reacting to the killings, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring posted on social media: "It's a matter of grave concern that two of our policemen were shot dead near a check post in Adhian village. I urge the state and central government to investigate the killings thoroughly, identify the culprits and punish them. We all have to face the situation together and we can't afford to be partisan or divided on the matter of security of our people, state and country."
The village of Adhian is approximately 250km from Chandigarh and 15km from the Gurdaspur district headquarters. As investigations continue, security forces remain on high alert in the border region, with authorities determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent further attacks in this strategically important area.
