AMRITSAR, Sept. 19 -- A 50-year-old Punjab Police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) on night patrol was ambushed and shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants outside the Bhagtanwala grain market here early Friday. ASI Harjit Singh, attached to the Gate Hakima police control room, was fatally shot around 12.32 am near gate number two of the market.

The brazen midnight killing marks the third deadly attack on Punjab Police personnel this year. The incident follows the May murder of ASI Joga Singh near Majitha and the February killings of ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard constable Ashok Kumar at a border checkpost at Adhian village in Gurdaspur district.

The two attackers opened fire at point-blank range before fleeing. After s...