Suspected BKI Terrorist Trying to Retrieve Explosive Killed in Blast

Had buried explosive at a vacant area and had turned up to dig it out, but it exploded, blowing away his legs, arms: Police

- Surjit Singh

AMRITSAR: A suspected operative of the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) was killed in a powerful explosion while attempting to retrieve a buried explosive near Naushehra village along the Amritsar-Majitha road on Tuesday morning.

The deceased was identified as Nitin Kumar (35) and a resident of Vikas Nagar in Amritsar's Chheharta area, said Amritsar rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Maninder Singh.

According to officials, Nitin had allegedly buried the explosive at a vacant area, located just outside an orchard near the busy road, and returned around 9.30am to retrieve it. However, the device detonated while he was handling it, severely injuring him.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a deafening blast, followed by chaotic scenes as bystanders found the man losing both his hands and legs in the explosion. "He was rolling on the ground in pain. It was a horrifying sight," said a local resident. The police arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later, but the man succumbed to his injuries before he could be taken to a hospital.