Amritsar, May 25 -- Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead a Punjab Police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) while he was heading to duty near Majitha's Hamja village on early Sunday morning. The deceased officer, Joga Singh, 52, belonged to Ghaniye Ke Bangar village in Batala, Gurdaspur district, and was serving in the traffic wing of the Amritsar police commissionerate. The incident occurred around 6 am on the Fatehgarh Churian-Majitha road. Singh was travelling to Amritsar on his scooter when the two shooters intercepted him nearly a kilometre before Majitha and opened fire from close range, according to investigators. The ASI sustained two bullet injuries - one to the left side of his chest and another near the waist. He died on the spot before any assistance could reach him. The attackers escaped immediately after the incident. Police officials said empty bullet shells were recovered and CCTV footage from nearby locations was being scanned as part of the investigation. A large-scale search operation has also been launched to trace the attackers. Following the murder, senior police officials, including Amritsar Rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Suhail Qasim Mir, reached the crime scene. The area was sealed while forensic experts gathered evidence from the spot. The body was shifted to the civil hospital for post-mortem examination. SSP Mir stated that the motive behind the killing had yet to be determined and further investigations were ongoing. "The spot where the murder took place is busy stretch. After being informed, the Majitha SHO, along with a police team, rushed to the spot and a forensic team was also called. We are working on all possible angles, including personal enmity and road rage," he added. The deceased ASI's brother said the family had no prior indication of any threat or dispute before the incident took place. "He left home around 5.27 am. Someone shot him on the way. We did not receive any call," he said. He shared that the deceased ASI was survived by his son and daughter, who live in Canada. Later in the evening, a social media post claiming to be from Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) took responsibility for the murder. "The operational commanders of TTH in respective wilayats are in progress where RSS and government officials will be taken task. We warn all government officials to resign from service, if you want to live. All commanders of the TTH to carry out attacks against serving persons of police, army and RAW. A complete video of today's incident will be released shortly in which it can be seen how the cowardly ASI of the evil Indian Police ran away and how our Mujahideen caught him. Just wait...," read the post. SSP Suhail Qasim Mir was not available in the evening for a comment on the post. A similar communique was circulated online when two cops were shot dead at the Adhian police post in Gurdaspur, close to the India-Pakistan border, in February. The same outfit had taken responsibility for the killing of the cops, a claim later dismissed by DIG (Border Range) Sandeep Goyal. ASI Gurnam Singh and Home Guard constable Ashok Kumar were found shot dead at Adhian police post in Gurdaspur on the morning of February 22. Police later said Ranjit Singh, 19, Inderjit Singh, 21, and Dilawar Singh, 19, executed the attack at the behest of Pakistan-based handlers linked to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Three days later, Ranjit was shot dead in an encounter after he allegedly fled police custody, triggering public and political uproar. The opposition parties targeted the AAP-led Punjab government over the ASI's killing and the Kapurthala jail incident, alleging that it had lost the moral authority to continue amid "complete lawlessness and anarchy". Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the ASI's murder laid bare the "dangerous" state of public safety in the state under the AAP rule. "When criminals can target a police officer without fear, it reflects how deeply the atmosphere of fearlessness among criminals has spread across the state. Governance cannot run on advertisements and headlines while citizens and even policemen feel vulnerable on the roads," said the Congress leader. Party's Punjab president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, "The AAP government has clearly abdicated its authority, allowing criminals and gangsters to have a free run. There is no fear of law." BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh also hit out at the AAP government, calling these incidents "glaring examples of total administrative collapse". He demanded the resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio. "The cold-blooded murder of a Punjab Police ASI has exposed the shocking insecurity prevailing across the state. If Punjab Police personnel themselves are not safe, what security can ordinary citizens expect under the Mann government?" he asked. Referring to the Kapurthala jail incident, Chugh said inmates went on a rampage, exposing the "complete breakdown" of prison administration in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that law and order had completely collapsed in Punjab under Bhagwant Mann's "misrule". "Targeted killings, gangster dominance and zero security. This is why doctors, traders, industrialists and everyone are fleeing the state," alleged Badal. There was no immediate response from the AAP to the allegations....