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Punjab cops battle surge in cross-border grenade influx
Over 60 grenades seized since September 2024, with 32 recovered in past six months; though the majority of the cases have been solved, the security agencies have been on their toes trying to plug gaps and find a way to stop drone deliveries
A spike in cross-border grenade recoveries over the past two years has put Punjab Police and security agencies on high alert. Since September 2024, over 60 grenades have been seized, including 32 in the past six months alone.
According to the Punjab Police data, accessed by HT, in the past six months, the state has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the supply of grenades via drones, with pro-Khalistan modules backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) making desperate attempts to deliver grenades to their active and sleeper cells.
“These grenades are cheaper and are being imported from China by Pakistan’s security agencies, especially to create unrest in Punjab. These low-intensity grenades can be carried even in pockets of trousers,” a senior Punjab Police functionary dealing with the case said.
The border state has witnessed more than 30 grenade attacks since October 2024, with a majority of them targeting police establishments and political functionaries. The latest such attack was that on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Chandigarh on April 1. Five persons were arrested, and one hand grenade and 15 live .30-bore cartridges were recovered from them. The police said the module was backed by ISI.
“Once these grenades reach the first receiver, it is then supplied to cut out modules or intermediaries before reaching the intended receiver. This is being done so that the supplier and the module which carries out the attack don’t have any connection which can come out in a probe. This is the reason whenever any module is busted, the police fail to reach the actual receiver because in the cut-out module system,” the official, who didn’t wish to be named, added.
Recent major recoveries in April include a joint operation by Amritsar rural police, Gurdaspur police and SSOC, Amritsar, along with central agencies, busting an ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International terror module and recovering five grenades.
Last year in April, a grenade was thrown at the house of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, while on Monday evening, a grenade was hurled at a shop of a BJP leader in Gurdaspur.
Though the majority of the cases have been solved, the security agencies have been on their toes trying to plug gaps and find a way to stop drone deliveries.
A senior police official from the counter-intelligence wing, who didn’t wish to be named, said one of the drones recovered had done 20 sorties.
“After one such recovery of a drone, our technical team found that it had made more than 20 sorties before it was shot down. The frequency of weapons and drugs smuggling is alarming,” he added.
Rising threat
September 9, 2024: Grenade hurled at a house in Sector 10, Chandigarh.
November 23, 2024: IED, weighing about 1.5 kg, planted near Ajnala police station
December 2, 2024: Grenade hurled at Ansaro Police Post, SBS Nagar district; It didn’t explode
Dec 4, 2024: Grenade blast shatters windows at Majitha police station
Dec 13, 2024: Grenade thrown near the entrance of the Ghania Ke Bangar police station in Batala; It didn’t explode
Dec 17, 2024: Blast rocks Islamabad Police Station in Amritsar police station
Dec 18, 2024: Grenade attack at Bakshiwala police check post in Gurdaspur dist
Dec 20, 2024: Grenade attack at Wadala Bangar police check post in Gurdaspur dist
January 9, 2025: Grenade attack at Gumtala police chowki in Amritsar
Jan 16, 2025: Grenade attack on liquor trader Amandeep Jaintipuria’s house in Amritsar
February 3, 2025: Grenade hurled at Fatehgarh Churrian by-pass police chowki in Gurdaspur
March 15, 2025 Grenade attack at a temple in Amritsar
March 16, 2025: Grenade hurled at YouTuber’s house in Jalandhar dist
April 2, 2025: Grenade hurled at Badshahpur police post in Patiala
April 8, 2025: Grenade was thrown at the house of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar
October -2025: Grenade attack at a temple continues to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency.
April 1, 2026: Grenade hurled at BJP headquarters in Chandigarh.
Recovery trail
April 2026 (Amritsar) — Four grenades recovered during a CI operation
April 2026 Six grenades seized during the anti-gangster drive
April 2026 (Ferozepur) One Pak-made grenade recovered
January 2026 (Amritsar & nearby districts) NIA seized grenades, explosive material during follow-up raids in the temple attack case
November 25, 2025 (Gurdaspur) One P-86 grenade recovered
Nov 2025 (Gurdaspur) Grenades seized from suspects targeting police establishments
October 2025 (Amritsar) Four grenades recovered from an operative
July 2025 (Gurdaspur) Grenades and AK-47 rifles seized
