For Second Night, Pakistan Targets India With Drones; Blackouts, Sirens in J&K, Punjab
Pakistan launched fresh drone attacks across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan on Friday night, marking the second consecutive night of escalated cross-border hostilities.
In an alarming repeat of Thursday’s aggression, Pakistan fired drones at 11 Indian locations Friday night, targeting eight areas in Jammu and Kashmir, two in Punjab, and one in Rajasthan. According to defence sources, all drones were successfully intercepted by India’s air defence systems.
The targeted cities included Jammu, Samba, Uri, Poonch, Handwara, Rajouri, Nowgam, and Kupwara in J&K; Pathankot and Amritsar in Punjab; and Pokhran in Rajasthan.
Residents in Jammu and Pathankot witnessed sirens and emergency blackouts for the second consecutive night. In Amritsar, heavy gunfire was reported, preceded by a blackout after drone activity was detected in the area. Srinagar also experienced power outages.
“In the backdrop of last night’s incidents, we’ve heightened our alert level and surveillance across sensitive zones,” said a senior Army officer posted in northern command, requesting anonymity.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that “intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery,” were audible from his location.
In a separate post, Abdullah urged residents to stay indoors and avoid spreading rumours. “Please stay off the streets…ignore unsubstantiated stories. We will get through this together,” he wrote.
These drone strikes come a day after Pakistan’s massive aerial offensive involving over 500 drones was repelled by India’s military. The ongoing conflict intensified following India’s surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control on May 7.
The strikes prompted widespread global concern, with calls for restraint from international stakeholders.
Security has been beefed up along the northern borders with India’s Army, Air Force and intelligence agencies maintaining 24/7 vigilance. More updates are expected from the Ministry of Defence in the coming hours.
