Amid a missile and drone attack by Pakistan in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and shelling in Punjab’s Pathankot, sirens have been sounded in Chandigarh and a blackout has been enforced. Shops have been asked to close and people have been asked to go home.
A blackout has been enforced in neighbouring Mohali as well, officials said.
A statement by the district collector of Chandigarh said, “Keeping in view the ongoing emergency situation, all the residents are requested to immediately respond to the sound of the siren and switch off all the lights and also are advised not to venture outside or on the rooftops.”
After failing in its earlier effort to strike installations in 15 locations in India – a list that also included Chandigarh – Pakistan on Thursday evening launched at least eight missiles at RS Pura, Arnia, Samba and Hiranagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Missiles were also intercepted over Jammu.
Shelling was reported from Pathankot in Punjab, which is about 30 km from the international border.
Blackouts have also been enforced in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, Amritsar in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana.
On the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, Pakistan had attempted to strike military targets in Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj. The defence ministry had said the missiles and drones were neutralised by India’s air defence systems and the debris was being collected as proof of Pakistan’s attack.
In response, India targeted air defence systems in several locations in Pakistan and neutralised one in Lahore.
At a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also blasted Pakistan’s claims of escalation by India, pointing out that the neighbouring country had begun the escalation with the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
“The original escalation was by Pakistan on the 22nd of April. We are the ones who are responding to that escalation with the action that was taken yesterday morning. And again, I would like to emphasise that the action was restrained – it was directed towards non-civilian, non-military targets and confined to terrorist camps. And again, as we have been saying since yesterday, any further action by Pakistan, some of which we are seeing today is nothing but escalation by Pakistan now, once again, and will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately,” he said.
