At least five devotees were injured when a man attacked them with an iron rod inside the holy Golden Temple on Friday. According to police, the attack took place near the community kitchen of Sri Darbar Sahib.

In another incident, a blast in the wee hours of Saturday at Thakur Dwara temple in Khandwala area of Amritsar left people in a state of panic.

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According to police, the assailant and his aide, allegedly involved in the attack on devotees, have been arrested. Their identity is yet to be established.

The injured were rushed to Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research at Vallah. The condition of one of them is said to be critical.

As per media reports, two of the injured are attendants of the Golden Temple, while the other three are devotees from Mohali, Bathinda, and Patiala.

Expressing concern over the mishap, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) said the police administration must take immediate and stringent action against the culprits and disclose their identities to the public.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh said that a thorough police investigation should be carried out to uncover the truth, adding that attempts are being made to instil fear among global Sikh devotees.

About the explosion which took place outside Thakur Dwara Temple in Khandwala area of Amritsar, police said no one was injured. Investigation is underway.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said that the explosion in Amritsar is also the handiwork of fissiparous forces that want to destabilise the peace, progress, and prosperity of the state.

He said that the state government will never allow these forces to succeed in their nefarious designs and all their conspiracies will be foiled.

Mann said that the law and order situation in Punjab is much better than other states as the Punjab Police is keeping an eagle eye over the matter.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab had always remained a victim of cross-border terrorism and has been fighting the nation’s war against drugs and terrorism.

He said drones are being frequently used to smuggle drugs, weapons, and other things in the state from across the border.

However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that smuggling through drones has been checked ever since the state embarked on the mass movement against drugs in the form of Yudh Nasheyan Virudh.