One of the suspects in a blast outside a temple in Punjab’s Amritsar two days earlier was killed in a gunfight with the police on Monday, PTI reported.

A second suspect managed to flee, the news agency quoted Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar as saying. He added that efforts were on to nab him.

On Saturday, two unidentified motorcycle-borne persons hurled an explosive device towards the Thakur Dwara temple in Khandwala around 2 am, which damaged a portion of its wall and shattered window panes. No one was injured in the incident.

The police commissioner on Monday said that one of the suspects was identified as Gursidak Singh, a resident of Bal village while the second suspect was Vishal from Rajasansi. Gursidak Singh was killed in the alleged gunfight.

“We received specific intelligence early this morning that the accused were spotted in the Rajasansi area,” The Tribune quoted Bhullar as saying. “Special police teams, including those from CIA [Crime Investigation Agency] and Chheharta Police, were deployed to nab them.”

He added: “When the Chheharta SHO [station house officer] tried to intercept the suspects, they abandoned their motorcycle and fired at the police.”

Bhullar said that Head Constable Gurpreet Singh was shot in his left arm and another bullet hit the turban of Inspector Amolak Singh.

Five rounds were fired at the police team, he said, adding that the officers retaliated in self-defence.

Gursidak Singh was injured in the exchange of fire and later succumbed to his injuries, the police commissioner said. Vishal, however, managed to flee from the site, he said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest him.

Earlier in the day, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav also said that the police had “decisively tracked” down those responsible for the attack on the temple, acting on specific intelligence.

“An FIR [first information report] has been registered at PS [police station] Chheharta under the Explosive Substances Act, and intelligence-based efforts led to the identification of the accused,” Yadav said on social media. “Police teams tracked the suspects in Rajasansi.”

He added: “The accused opened fire, injuring HC Gurpreet Singh and striking Insp. Amolak Singh’s turban. Acting in self-defence, the police party fired back, injuring the accused.”

Yadav said that Gursidak Singh was taken to Civil Hospital. “The other accused fled, and efforts are on to arrest him,” he said, adding that a fresh FIR had been registered at the Airport Police Station.

Following the blast on Saturday, the police had hinted at the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in the incident, The Hindu reported.