HP: Blackout advisory issued in Bilaspur amid rising tensions with Pakistan

Bilaspur (HP): Amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan, the Bilaspur district administration in Himachal Pradesh on Friday issued an advisory prioritising the safety and security of citizens.

In the advisory, District Magistrate Rahul Kumar appealed to the residents to ensure a complete blackout in their respective areas to minimise risks in the event of a potential aerial attack.

Bilaspur shares a boundary with Punjab, a border state that has been put on high alert following the escalating tensions with Pakistan.

As per the guidelines issued by the administration, all lights, both outdoor and indoor, must be turned off during night hours, while citizens have been advised to remain in sheltered locations and avoid unnecessary travel.

Vehicular movement should be halted at night to facilitate the smooth functioning of security forces in case of any emergency, the advisory said.

“This advisory has been issued in public interest. The administration requests strict compliance from all residents. Restraint and vigilance are the strongest shields in such situations,” it said.

Meanwhile, all educational institutions were shut in Una district on Friday, for which a notification was issued late on Thursday night.

The developments came after India on Thursday night thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles, including in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, after foiling its attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country.

According to the defence ministry, the Pakistani military on Thursday night attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.

The renewed attempts by the Pakistani forces came after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.