A swarm of drones from Pakistan was spotted in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab on Friday evening, said sources in the Army, adding that they are being engaged. This is the latest provocation from Pakistan after it fired 300-400 drones a day before, which were neutralised by the Indian Army.
Drones were sighted in Jammu, Samba (in J&K), Pathankot and Ferozepur (in Punjab) and Jaisalmer, (in Rajasthan). Multiple explosions, including in Barmer and Pokhran, have also been heard in these regions.
Three people were injured when a Pakistan drone hit a residential area in Punjab’s Ferozepur, said the police.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also confirmed that drones from Pakistan have been fired into civilian areas in Punjab.
“Pakistan has once again proven that it’s a terrorist state – firing drones into civilian areas of Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan. In my own state of Punjab, innocent civilians have been severely injured. The world needs to see how Pakistan is provoking India. Shameful and cowardly,” Mr Chadha posted on X.
As the Pakistan drones were spotted again, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
A few hours before that, PM Modi chaired a high-level meet with the top defence establishment to take stock of the security situation. The Prime Minister met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff to strategise over the future course of action.
Pakistan on Thursday night launched a series of coordinated drone and missile attacks along India’s western border, targeting several regions. Defence officials said the attacks were intercepted by India’s air defence systems, including the S-400 missile defence system, preventing significant damage.
“On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations,” said the government.
“The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…” the government added.
Tensions between the two neighbours soared significantly following India’s Operation Sindoor on early Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam attack on April 22 that had cross-border linkages and claimed 26 lives.
Earlier in the evening, blasts were heard and sirens sounded in the Jammu region and south Kashmir as many parts of Jammu and Kashmir plunged into darkness, officials said.
The blasts come amid ongoing shelling by Pakistan following India’s strike on terror hideouts in the country earlier this week as part of Operation Sindoor.
“Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.
Blackout in Jammu now. Sirens can be heard across the city. pic.twitter.com/TE0X2LYzQ8
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 9, 2025
He also posted a picture of the city in darkness, captioning the post as, “Blackout in Jammu now. Sirens can be heard across the city.”
“It’s my earnest appeal to everyone in & around Jammu please stay off the streets, stay at home or at the nearest place you can comfortably stay at for the next few hours. Ignore rumours, don’t spread unsubstantiated or unverified stories & we will get through this together,” the Chief Minister added.
In Srinagar, mosque loudspeakers were used to convey to locals to switch off their lights as a precautionary measure.
