Amritsar blast: Rs 50 lakh reward announced for information on suspects
Chandigarh, Nov 19 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anybody providing information on those involved in the Amritsar grenade blast that left three persons dead, officials said.
Information can be provided on the Punjab Police helpline - 181, officials said, adding the identity of the informer will be kept a secret. The chief minister will visit Amritsar later in the day, officials said.
A team of the National Investigation Agency visited the blast site Sunday night along with their investigators and explosive experts.They also held discussions with the top brass of the Punjab Police.
Three persons, including a preacher, were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on the city outskirts here on Sunday, an incident which the police are treating as a terrorist act .
The incident took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan's prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi, police said. A religious congregation of the Nirankari followers was being conducted inside the Bhavan at the time of the incident.
The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan here lies close to the international airport and the Indo-Pak border.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
