Punjab: Sarhali Police Station attacked with rocket-propelled grenade, investigation launched
The Sarhali Police Station in Punjab's Taran Tarn area was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), India Today reported on Saturday. The incident occurred on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday and led to some damage in the building. Punjab Police has launched the investigation while the attackers have yet to be identified. Notably, a similar attack happened in Mohali in May.
Why does this story matter?
- The attack comes at a time when National Investigation Agency (NIA) is already investigating a similar attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali that took place on May 9.
- Punjab Police had said that an RPG was fired by elements operating from across the border while NIA is probing the Khalistani link as it already arrested some suspects associated with the operatives.
Police investigating Khalistani link
According to ANI, investigators are looking into the Khalistani connection to the incident. However, there has been no formal confirmation. Notably, Sarhali is the hometown of the infamous criminal Harvinder Singh, who once resided in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Director General of Police (DGP) and the forensic team assessed the scene. Officials also stated that it seems to be an RPG assault at first glance.
Images of the damaged police station
What is RPG?
An RPG is a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that fires explosives. Rockets can also be fired with their help. In May, an RPG-22 was used to target the intelligence headquarters in Mohali, which was inferred from the remains of the rocket. The RPG-22 is a single-use rocket launcher from the era of the Soviet Union which can be fired within 10 seconds.
What police said about the attack
According to police, the unidentified persons attacked the police station from the highway side, damaging its inner wall, window panes, and door. On getting the information, senior officials reached the spot and recovered a rocket and pipe-like object from inside the police station, they told the media. Nearly, eight policemen were present at the time of the attack but no injury was reported.
