Pakistani drones neutralised in Jalandhar, blackout enforced

Chandigarh: A blackout was enforced in several districts of Punjab like Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Mohali and also the Union Territory Chandigarh on Thursday evening, officials said.

The move comes amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan.

In Jalandhar, some drones were spotted but were neutralised around 11:20 pm by security forces, said officials.

In Pathankot district, some locals claimed they heard explosion-like sounds. However, there was no official confirmation in this regard.

"There was loud noise, like sounds of bombing, and also non-stop sirens. It was too scary," said a resident of Sujanpur in Pathankot.

Air raid warning sirens were activated in Pathankot where the blackout was enforced around 8:30 pm.

Authorities appealed to people to keep their lights switched off and stay at home. They also said there was no need to panic.

Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal asked citizens in the border district to remain inside their homes and follow the protocols of the blackout.

The blackout was enforced in some other parts including Rupnagar, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bathinda, Patiala and Haryana's Panchkula.

Officials said the blackout was enforced as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of citizens.

Meanwhile, the Mohali district administration declared jurisdiction of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar as 'No Flying Zone' for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

District Magistrate, SAS Nagar, Komal Mittal while exercising the power conferred upon under section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, ordered that the whole jurisdiction of SAS Nagar shall be "No Flying Zone" with effect from May 8 till July 5.

However, this order shall not be applicable on law enforcement agencies --police, paramilitary, air force, SPG personnel and persons authorized by competent government authority.

Punjab is in alert mode with schools in border districts closed and leaves of all police personnel cancelled, officials said a day after India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Tensions escalated after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam.

On Thursday night, India swiftly thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles including in Jammu and Pathankot after foiling similar bids at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country.