Did Amritsar experience an attack? Check what officials have advised so far
As tensions rise between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, a wave of panic has spread online with viral posts claiming that Amritsar is under immediate threat. These reports, largely unverified, allege missile sightings and possible air activity in the region. In another latest report, the Amritsar district administration has initiated a citywide blackout as a precautionary measure. What sparked the concern?
On Wednesday night, social media erupted with posts from users claiming to have seen missiles flying over Amritsar, while others reported partial blackouts and unusual air activity. A video showing what appeared to be fast-moving projectiles in the sky was widely circulated, with some users suggesting surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) were possibly launched from or near Amritsar Airport.
These fears were compounded by earlier reports of sirens heard in Sialkot, a Pakistani city just across the international border from Jammu, triggering speculation of potential cross-border hostilities. DPRO confirms blackout in Amritsar
In an official statement, the Amritsar District Public Relations Office (DPRO) confirmed that a blackout had been ordered as a precautionary measure:
'Taking utmost caution, Amritsar district administration has again started the blackout process. Please stay at home, do not panic and do not gather outside your houses; keep the outside lights switched off.'
The move follows an earlier mock drill at the Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) as part of nationwide civil defence exercises prompted by heightened tensions post-Operation Sindoor. What locals are saying
Local residents posted on social media about the lights going out in parts of the city, describing the atmosphere as tense but calm. While some acknowledged seeing or hearing unusual activity, no consistent or verified footage has emerged to confirm any missile strike or aerial engagement in the region. Fact-check: Is Amritsar really under threat?
Despite the circulating videos and speculative claims, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, or Punjab Police regarding any attack on Amritsar. Fact-checkers and journalists have already debunked some of the viral visuals — including a video claimed to be from Sialkot — as old footage from Gaza, not related to the current situation. What else is happening?
In light of the situation, the government has also enforced airspace restrictions across northern and western India, suspending operations at 13 airports, including Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, and Chandigarh, until 5:29 a.m. on May 10. Major airlines like Air India and IndiGo have cancelled flights to these destinations and issued travel waivers and refund options.
While tensions remain high, there is no verified threat or attack on Amritsar as of now. The blackout is a precautionary step, not confirmation of an active military event. Citizens are advised to remain calm, follow official advisories, and avoid spreading unverified information online.
Note: Stay tuned to government announcements and reliable news sources for accurate updates. Do not panic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Video shows Huthi fighters' drill, not ambush on Pakistan army
"Chanting Allahu Akbar, BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) blew up the Pakistani army convoy," reads in parts the Hindi-language Facebook post shared on May 27, 2025. The video shows a column of vehicles moving through a desert region when one of them suddenly explodes. The footage spread with similar claims on Facebook and X after gunmen killed 26 people in an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir on April 22, which New Delhi blames on its neighbour. Islamabad denies the charge (archived link). Four days of tense fighting broke out between the nuclear-armed foes in May -- claiming over 70 lives on both sides -- before they agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire (archived link). The BLA is one of several separatist groups that accuse outsiders of plundering the Balochistan province's natural resources, and has been blamed for attacks in Pakistan. Fighters from the group attacked a train with 450 passengers on board in March, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed (archived link). In another attack, BLA rebels targeted a security vehicle with an improvised explosive device, killing seven Pakistani soldiers on May 6 (archived link). Some users have linked the false video to "Operation Sindoor" -- India's name for its strikes on Pakistan. "Balochistan too is probably running Operation Sindoor in Pakistan," one user commented. Another wrote, "Indian people don't worry, we will continue operation Sindoor until we get our freedom." But the original video actually shows an exercise by Huthi rebels in March 2024 in Yemen. A Google reverse image search on keyframes from the false video led to a longer version that Saudi-owned TV station Al Arabiya uploaded on its YouTube channel on March 10, 2024 (archived link). The video is captioned: "Watch: Huthi group conducts military manoeuvres simulating the storming of Israeli sites and targeting American and British forces". An Arabic logo appearing at the bottom right corner of the YouTube video led to longer footage posted on Yemeni Military Media's X account on the same day (archived link). Visuals at the 32:11 mark of the X post correspond with the clip shared in the false posts. The X post also contains a link to a report that Yemeni Military Media -- an outlet affiliated with the Huthi movement -- uploaded on its website, which shares the same video (archived link). AFP has debunked other misinformation stemming from the India-Pakistan conflict here.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ed Miliband turns to nuclear power as blackout fears rise
Ed Miliband is to pump billions of pounds into a nuclear power renaissance to keep Britain's lights on. The Energy Secretary will on Tuesday commit £14.2bn to building two giant reactors at Sizewell, Suffolk, capable of providing 6m homes with electricity regardless of low winds and dark winter days. The heavy investment comes as fears rise that Mr Miliband's rush to build wind and solar farms is leaving the grid too exposed to the weather and vulnerable to outages. Over-reliance on intermittent renewables could even threaten blackouts of the kind that hit Spain in April, say experts. Nuclear generation is a reliable source of so-called baseload power, the minimum amount of demand on the grid. Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Miliband said the announcement marked a new 'golden age' for the British nuclear industry. He said: 'This challenge of energy security and the demands of the climate crisis mean that it is in our interests to shift as fast as possible to clean, home-grown power. 'The demand for that power is expected to at least double by 2050. That's why we need all the clean, home-grown sources that we can to meet the demands we face. New nuclear is a crucial source of firm, baseload power.' The money is in addition to the £3.6bn pledged by the previous Conservative government. It means Sizewell C is to receive a total of £17.8bn in public money between 2022 and 2029, with more to follow. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor is set to confirm the funding at the GMB Congress later on Tuesday ahead of the Government's spending review. Ms Reeves is to hand out £300bn more in public spending than was proposed by the Tories, following a record £40bn tax raid last year. The NHS is expected to receive an additional £30bn, meaning it will be among the biggest winners. An extra £113bn is also earmarked for infrastructure projects. However, day-to-day spending will be squeezed, with a real terms rise of 1.2pc in the next three years – down from 2.5pc in the last two years. Unprotected departments will face real terms cuts. A post-Brexit farming fund is expected to be reduced in size. There have also been clashes over police funding and social housing. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, became the last Cabinet minister to settle with the Treasury on Monday, following heated discussions that sources said had raised fears she might resign. As well as billions for Sizewell C, it is also expected that one of Europe's first programmes building small modular reactors (SMRs) will be confirmed. Partly built on production lines by engineering giants including Rolls-Royce, it is hoped these smaller and much cheaper nuclear power stations will allow Britain to more quickly replace the older plants that must be decommissioned in the coming years. Taxpayers will also contribute £2.5bn to a five-year investment in fusion research, which aims to unlock the nuclear reaction which powers the sun as a source of clean and cheap power on Earth. Nuclear power is seen as increasingly vital to protect Britain's power grids after the shutdowns of all its coal-fired power stations and the looming closures of many of the nation's 35 or so large gas-fired power stations. Such traditional 'thermal' power stations generate electricity by making steam that spins turbines. The rotating masses of metal are vital to stabilise the voltage and frequency of the power supplied to the grid – which is highly sensitive to even tiny fluctuations. In the UK, however, nuclear has always proved to be far more expensive than other sources of electricity. This is why, despite the UK opening the world's first commercial nuclear power station in the 1950s, no new nuclear plant has opened in the UK since 1995, with all of the existing fleet except Sizewell B likely to be phased out by the early 2030s. Energy analyst Kathryn Porter warned the UK was committing itself to an outdated and expensive reactor design at Sizewell C. She said: 'It's hard to imagine a 'golden age' of nuclear power with EDF's outdated and troubled reactor design. EDF in France is already looking to the next generation – building another of these older versions is a retrograde step. 'It's also highly unlikely that Sizewell C would be built faster than Hinkley given the lengthening of supply chains.' The costs for Hinkley Point C, under construction in Somerset, have risen from around £20bn to at least £42bn with some experts warning the final bill will come close to £50bn when it starts operating around 2031. Such unpredictable construction costs have made it difficult for the Government to find any companies willing to invest in Sizewell C. EDF, the French state energy company which is building Hinkley, has progressively reduced its stake in Sizewell C leaving the Government holding 84pc. Officials have been seeking foreign state investment including from the United Arab Emirates. Mr Miliband still refuses to divulge the estimated final cost of Sizewell C and negotiations with prospective partners are thought to still be under way. The best estimates to date suggest the power station will cost about £40bn. The money will come initially from the Treasury but it and other investors will recover the construction costs via a new levy, known as the Regulated Asset Base, to be added to consumer and business energy bills. The Government has claimed that this will initially cost only £12 per household per year, but experts say this would raise far less than needed – so the amounts are likely to increase, driving up energy bills. Andrew Bowie, Conservative shadow energy spokesman, said nuclear power offered a reliable and continuous source of electricity essential to balance the intermittency of renewables like wind and solar. 'We need to move to a lower-carbon electricity system that includes wind and solar. 'But we do not have the electricity storage capacity needed for times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Nuclear will give us reliable baseload electricity to stabilise the system.' Richard Tice, Reform's energy spokesman, was also broadly supportive but criticised Mr Miliband for delays around commissioning SMRs as well. 'We need to accelerate our nuclear plans, but why is the Government being so slow to progress cheaper SMRs that can be delivered faster?' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan to resume purchase, distribution of all U.S.-produced alcohol
The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is set to resume the purchase of U.S.-made alcohol, walking back one of the province's tariff countermeasures announced earlier this spring. In an email leaked to the Leader-Post, SLGA staff were informed on Monday afternoon that the Crown would resume the purchase and distribution of U.S.-produced alcohol, removing one of the province's planks in its response to the trade war with the United States. The trade war started when U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, which came into effect on March 4. On March 5, Premier Scott Moe unveiled Saskatchewan's response, which included direction to the SLGA 'to stop purchasing U.S.-produced alcohol.' The government amended that direction on March 24, providing an exemption for some 54 American brands that were at least partially made in Canada. In an emailed response provided to the Leader-Post on Monday, SLGA spokesperson David Morris said the change will allow the Crown to sell off current inventories of U.S.-produced alcohol that were already paid and resume the purchase of new stock. 'This change gives Saskatchewan people the option to choose whether they want to buy these products or consider alternatives,' stated Morris, adding the SLGA encourages people to buy Saskatchewan and Canadian products. 'The Federal Government's 25 per cent tariff on U.S. alcohol remains in place, and this added cost is expected to be a significant factor.' This move comes a few days after Alberta made the same move, reversing a similar policy that was also in place as a response to U.S. tariffs. On June 6, the U.S. further raised tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. 'Just days ago, Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Saskatchewan steel,' Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said in an emailed statement criticizing the move to resume the purchase of U.S.-produced alcohol. 'Instead of standing up to Trump and protecting our workers, Scott Moe and the Sask. Party sold them out,' she said. 'This is a betrayal of Canadian workers, especially our steelworkers.' Here's what U.S. brands are staying on Saskatchewan liquor store shelves Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announces provincial response to Trump's tariffs alsalloum@ The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
