Op Sindoor: Pakistan escalates armed drone strikes on Punjab

The army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) posted on X: “Pakistan’s blatant escalation with drone strikes and other munitions continues along our western borders. In one such incident, today at approximately 5am, multiple enemy armed drones were spotted flying over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. The hostile drones were instantly engaged and destroyed by our air defence units. Pakistan’s blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilians is unacceptable. The Indian Army will thwart enemy designs.”

A drone fell in the courtyard of a house at Wadala village of Amritsar district, leading to a fierce fire. Residents immediately doused the flames before they could cause much damage.

Wreckage of a projectile were found scattered over a 1km area in the fields of Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar district. The army has taken away the wreckage.

An explosion was heard around 5am and later debris of a suspected missile was found at Muglani Kot near Rajasansi town of Amritsar district. Residents said they had heard a drone flying overhead before the explosion and later the sound of a plane. The explosive material caused a pit with its impact. The debris was taken away by the armed forces personnel.

Several drones were spotted and blasts were heard in neighbouring Pathankot on Friday night.

Red alert in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur

Parts of a projectile landed in a residential area at Kanganiwal village in Jalandhar district after the Indian armed forces intercepted it near Adampur early on Saturday. Local residents said a migrant labourer was injured in the incident, while a few houses in the area were damaged.

“I was standing near a window when an object hit a water tank (of a house) around 1.30 am, shattering glasses of 4-5 houses before landing,” a woman from the area said. A migrant labourer who suffered injuries on his arm was taken to the hospital, she said. Satinder Kumar, a local, said, “The water tank of our house was damaged, while many window panes were shattered. There was smoke all around.” Another local resident, Muskan, said an explosion took place at night that forced several people to come out of their homes. “A car was damaged,” she said.

Sharing her experience, Surjit Kaur said a red-coloured light flashed in the sky which was followed by the explosion.

A red alert has been sounded in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts in Punjab’s Doaba region on the basis of inputs received from Indian armed forces on Saturday morning.

Jalandhar deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal ordered the closure of markets in Jalandhar Cantonment and Adampur, where a key IAF installation is situated.

Aggarwal said all shopping malls and high-rise buildings across the district were directed to be closed. The administration issued an advisory to the people to avoid movement in open spaces. “Drones were intercepted and neutralised by the armed forces. People have been advised to stay calm and inside,” he said.

Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said after receiving inputs from the armed forces, markets were also shut in Kapurthala and Phagwara.

Projectile debris found in Mansa village

Debris of a projectile was found at Mal Singh Wala village near Budhlada town in Mansa district around 2am on Saturday. Villagers spotted flames after the projectile hit the ground.

Mansa deputy commissioner Kulwant Singh said no one was injured and there was no loss of property. “The army authorities were called in and they are handling the missile. The situation is completely under control,” he said.

Air raid sirens were sounded in Bathinda after an explosion near a sensitive defence installation at Bhisiana village on Saturday morning.

Residents of Burj Mehma village rushed to the fields after the blasts, but did not spot anything. Police teams were seen rushing towards the area to search the fields and adjoining areas.

Air sirens have been sounded in Bathinda four times between Friday night and Saturday morning, after which a blackout was imposed as a precautionary measure.

Pakistan launched a wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat — for the second night on Friday. According to officials, the security forces thwarted multiple drone attacks launched by Pakistan on Punjab’s Ferozepur and Fazilka districts.

In Ferozepur, three members of a family were injured on Friday night after a crashing projectile from a Pakistani drone destroyed by Indian air defence system landed on their house at Khai Pheme Ke village, setting the structure and a car on fire.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes, targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had cross-border linkages.

(With inputs by Vishal Joshi)