Key Points:
- Multiple explosions and a citywide blackout hit Jammu after Pakistani drones targeted key sites, including the airport; Indian air defense systems successfully intercepted the attacks.
- Blackouts were also reported at Mata Vaishno Devi and across Punjab, with air raid sirens sounding in several regions.
- NSA Ajit Doval held a high-level emergency meeting with PM Modi and senior officials as the situation escalated.
- Simultaneously, three powerful blasts rocked Lahore near Walton Airport, prompting mass panic and the temporary closure of Lahore, Karachi, and Sialkot airports.
- As part of Operation Sindoor, India destroyed nine major terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, targeting Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen strongholds in a 25-minute precision strike.
Jammu/Delhi/Lahore: Tensions between India and Pakistan reached a fever pitch on Thursday as both sides exchanged drone and missile attacks, plunging cities into blackouts and sending residents scrambling for safety.
Jammu Under Blackout After Drone Attack
Early Thursday, Jammu was rocked by multiple explosions near the airport, triggering a complete blackout across the city and nearby regions, including the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Sirens blared and missile interception systems were activated as Pakistani drones targeted strategic sites along the International Border and in Samba. Locals reported seeing missile streaks in the sky and hearing loud blasts, with similar blackouts enforced in Baramulla and Pathankot as a security precaution.
Emergency Meetings at the Highest Level
With tensions at a critical point, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an hour-long emergency briefing, joined by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. While no official statement was released, sources say the meeting focused on real-time threat assessment and response coordination.
Lahore and Karachi: Explosions and Flight Suspensions
Simultaneously, across the border, three powerful blasts shook Lahore’s Walton Road area near the military airport, sending residents fleeing in panic and filling the sky with smoke. Emergency sirens sounded as Pakistani authorities sealed off the area and suspended flight operations at Lahore, Karachi, and Sialkot airports, disrupting both domestic and international travel.
Operation Sindoor: India’s Decisive Strike
These developments follow India’s high-profile Operation Sindoor, a tri-services mission that targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Indian forces executed 24 precision missile strikes in just 25 minutes, destroying launch pads and key infrastructure of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Bahawalpur, Muridke, and Muzaffarabad. Satellite images confirm extensive damage to these terror hubs.
India Repels Pakistani Retaliation
After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted a large-scale drone and missile attack on 15 Indian cities, including Jammu, Srinagar, Amritsar, and Chandigarh. Indian air defense systems, including the S-400, intercepted and neutralized all incoming threats, with debris now being recovered from various border areas. No major damage or civilian casualties have been reported in India.
Security on Maximum Alert
Authorities have enforced blackouts and heightened security across Jammu, Punjab, and key border districts. The Indian government has reiterated its commitment to precise, non-escalatory action focused solely on terror infrastructure, while warning Pakistan against any further provocation.
As border hostilities escalate, both nations remain on high alert. India’s Operation Sindoor has dealt a major blow to terror networks, while Indian air defenses have successfully repelled Pakistani retaliation. With blackouts, explosions, and emergency meetings at the highest level, the region faces its most serious security crisis in years.
