Punjab: Metal debris found at fields in three Amritsar villages, locals claim missile parts

Amritsar, May 8 (PTI) Metal debris was found scattered in three villages of Amritsar district on Thursday, with some locals claiming them to be parts of missiles.

Police have maintained that the objects can be identified only after an investigation.

Locals in Jethuwal village said they found metal parts in some open fields and houses. Similar objects were found in Makhan Windi and Pandher villages as well.

No damage was caused to any property, they said.

Some locals claimed that they heard sound of explosions and saw lights flashing in the sky past midnight.

A villager in Jethuwal said they came out of homes after hearing loud sounds at around 1.05 am. Following the sound, the ground felt like it was shaking as in during an earthquake.

Upon finding the debris on Thursday morning, the locals contacted the police, who cordoned off the area where the metals were found and informed the Army.

The Centre on Thursday said it foiled Pakistan military's attempts to attack 15 places in northern and western India using missiles and drones, and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore as tensions mounted between the two sides.

The defence ministry said the Pakistan military on Wednesday night attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.

These attempts were neutralised by the Integrated Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (Grid and Air Defence systems), it said.

Pakistan's attempt came after Indian armed forces early on Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor, which was launched to avenge the April 22 killing of 26 people by terrorists in Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Border areas in Punjab are on high alert in the wake of soaring tensions between the two countries. Amritsar airport has been shut since Wednesday until further orders.

The Amritsar district administration carried out a blackout drill in the early hours on Thursday, urging the residents to remain indoors and not panic.

The drill that began around 1.30 am was the second in the district in three hours. The first one was conducted from 10.30 pm to 11 pm on Wednesday.

Several districts across the country conducted mock drills on Wednesday after the Indian military targeted terror infrastructure in the neighbouring country.

The armed forces struck nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke. PTI JMS CHS VSD RUK RUK