Explosions, falling debris: A day of panic in Srinagar

Hindustan Times

11-05-2025

The people of Srinagar were rattled out of their sleep up as sounds of explosions rocked the city as early as 5.45 am. As the firing intensified and drone sighting followed, a sense of fear and panic spread in the city, as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
Around three to four explosions were heard across Srinagar hours after the city was shaken by two big blasts late on Friday evening. Reports of drones swarming over the Srinagar airport started pouring in and the fear only increased even as India's defence systems thwarted the strikes.
The evening started a little better for the people with the announcement of a ceasefire, sparking a sense of return towards normalcy, only for the situation to worsen with drone sightings, ceasefire violations and blast-like sounds hours later.
'I thought a bomb was dropped on us. This is the first time that I have witnessed a war-like situation in my life with drones and jets flying all over us. I am still shivering,' says Aneesa, a 22-year-old college student.
Maleeha, 13, was woken up by explosions and rushed to look through the window. 'Why is it happening here? What have we done? Isn't war fought between armies?' She questioned, with no answers in sight.
As the day progressed, there were more sounds of explosions around Srinagar airport and in Awantipora, the site of technical airport.
Even for the people who witnessed the peak of militancy in the 1990s and 2000s, the fresh experience was shaking.
Danish Ahmad, a 42-year-old teacher, says the day was like nothing seen before. 'We are mostly used to bullet fire or tear gas canister explosions. Missiles and drones are new to us,' he said. 'The ground shook and I sent my kids inside for safety. Nothing feels safe,' he said.
Normal life was affected with traffic thin and slow economic activity across the city. People preferred to stay indoors owing to the fear.
The situation became scarier after people reported sightings of debris and projectiles falling from the skies at Lasjan and the Dal Lake.
At Lasjan, which is opposite the Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar, the debris of a missile-like object fell between a cluster of homes, damaging the courtyard. People reported witnessing smoke emanating after something fell into the Dal Lake.
'When there was an explosion in the morning, something fell from the sky. It was in two pieces. We called the village head. Later, the police took the object away,' said Mohammad Ashraf, a local.
The officials in New Delhi, in the morning briefing, acknowledged that Srinagar and Awantipora air bases in Kashmir, and Udhampur airbase were targets of Pakistan's thwarted attacks.
'Pakistan employed UCAP, drone, loitering munitions and fighter aircrafts to target civilian areas and military infrastructure... several harassment attacks were also attempted from Srinagar till Nalia at more than 26 locations,' Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said at the press briefing.