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Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Drones spotted in Samba, Jalandhar, explosions in Hoshiarpur's Dasuya
Barely minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, Pakistani drones were sighted in J&K's Samba town and near army installations in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, prompting authorities to activate its air defence system and impose blackout. Reports stated that Pakistan also opened small arms fire at the International Border in Samba and Hiranagar sectors and was being responded in equal measure by the Border Security Force. As a precautionary measure, a Delhi-Amritsar flight of Indigo was sent back to Capital. It was scheduled to land at Amritsar at 9.10 pm. 'Over a dozen drones were seen being intercepted by the air defence system,' said a local from Samba. Red streaks were seen and explosions heard amid blackout in Samba, he added. Defence officials said that drones were sighted in Samba and were intercepted. Unconfirmed reports stated that Pakistan also opened small arms fire in Akhnoor and Pargwal sectors in Jammu. A complete blackout has been enforced in Poonch-Rajouri as a precautionary measure, said an official. Authorities also imposed a blackout at Vaishno Devi Bhawan and yatra track. In Hoshiarpur's Dasuya, the locals heard 7-8 explosions in a village in Dasuya area. Hoshiarpur DC Aashika Jain confirmed that some explosions were heard in a village in Dasuya. 'We are coordinating with defence officials and any further information will be shared accordingly,' she said. She added that on the basis of inputs received from the armed forces, blackout has been imposed in the Dasuya and Mukerian areas. In Jalandhar, the administration confirmed that drones were spotted near Suranasi village. Deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said: 'I have been informed that one surveillance drone was brought down by the armed forces around 9.20 pm near Mand village. A team is searching for the debris. People are requested to not go near the debris in case they spot it. Inform the authorities immediately,' he said. Power has been cut in some areas as a precaution, he added. A blackout was enforced in Amritsar following an alert. Around 8.45 pm, Amritsar deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, in a statement to media, said: 'You will hear a siren. We are on alert and initiating the blackout. Please switch off your lights and move away from your windows. Stay calm, we will inform when ready to restore the power supply. Don't panic at all. This is by way of abundant caution'. Nearly 15 minutes after the communication, a siren blared and blackout was imposed. Residents said they saw movement of the flying objects on Ram Tirath side. Drone movement was also seen at Attari border. Voluntary blackouts were imposed in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.
Mint
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
India-Pakistan conflict: Drones intercepted in Samba soon after PM Modi's address to nation; sirens blare in Amritsar
India-Pakistan conflict: Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Monday, red streaks filled skies again, after 10 to 12 drones were intercepted in Samba, prompting a blackout in the region and Jammu, for the fourth consecutive night. Sometime after the first wave of drones was intercepted, no more drone activity has been observed for the past 15 minutes in Samba, as per sources. There have also been reports of suspected drone sightings from multiple locations in Punjab, with sirens being sounded in Amritsar. However, no explosions have been reported so far. In the wake of the recent events, a partial blackout has been declared in Dasuya and Mukerian areas of Punjab's Hoshiarpur, as a precaution. Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain also appealed to the residents of Hoshiarpur to observe a voluntary blackout and urged them to stay indoors. As compared to the drone attacks in the previous days, on Monday, a very small number of drones appeared in the Samba sector. The drones are being engaged and there is nothing to be alarmed, ANI reported quoting Army officials. Authorities also informed that the situation is being closely monitored. On Monday morning, the northern and western frontiers of the country remained largely peaceful, marking a pause after four tense days of cross-border firing, drone strikes, and air raid sirens that had gripped cities and towns across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Earlier in the day, the Indian Army also said: "The night remained largely peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the international border. No incident has been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days," Indian Army said on Monday. The 'calmness' however, was torn down by the drone attacks and consequent blackouts at night. The drone attack in Samba happened merely some minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation — his first since Operation Sindoor — where India targeted nine terror beds across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. PM Modi further asserted that India won't be bogged down by any 'nuclear blackmail' from Pakistan and that the country's military actions against terrorism have only been paused for now. Jhunjhunu district collector ordered a blackout after a suspicious object was reportedly seen in the sky of Chidawa Pilani.
India.com
12-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Pakistan Carries Out Fresh Drone Attacks In Samba; Blackout In Hoshiarpur; Flight Diverted From Amritsar
In a violation of fresh understanding with India, Pakistan on Monday night launched a fresh drone attack in Jammu's Samba and Punjab's Amritsar and Hoshiarpur. According to reports, a very small number of drones have entered the Samba sector. India's air defence system engaged them successfully and neutralised them all. The Army sources told ANI that there is nothing to be alarmed. On the other hand, a loud explosion was heard in Hoshiarpur, leading to a blackout in the area. Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain said, "We are declaring a precautionary partial blackout in the areas of Dasuya and Mukerian for some time...I appeal to the residents of Hoshiarpur to observe a voluntary blackout on their part and stay inside their homes. There is no need to panic." She, however, did not confirm the blast sound. Some reports claimed that drones were also spotted in Jalandhar while a flight from Delhi was turned back from Amritsar Airport due to a blackout following sirens. This comes days after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to not escalate the conflict further and reduce the tensions following the Operation Sindoor.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Undetonated missile found near village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur
Amid the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, an undetonated China-made PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile landed in a secluded spot near Kumahi Devi village of Hoshiarpur district of Punjab on Thursday night. Armed forces personnel and the Hoshiarpur district administration were in the process of safely removing it on Friday. Hoshiarpur was among the 16 of Punjab's 23 districts to observe a complete blackout on Thursday night. The missile was intercepted by India's air defence system and landed in the secluded site near the village, an official said. Forensic experts and an anti-sabotage team were already at the spot. Deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said the area had been cordoned off and Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities had been informed about the recovery of the missile. 'The IAF has a standing operating procedure (SOP) to clear remnants of a missile or other armed equipment,' Jain said. She said that the district administration has been providing all logistics and machinery required to IAF for clearing the debris of the missile. 'Civilian movement in and around the site has been restricted as the police have cordoned off the area for the safety of the people,' she said. This is the second such missile to be found in Hoshiarpur district since May 7 when India launched precision air strikes at terror infrastructure in Pakistan. The debris of a similar missile had fallen in the backyard of a resident at Ghagwal village of Hoshiarpur district on Wednesday night. It was later found to be a part of a China-made PL-15 missile neutralised by the IAF.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Indian Express
Blackouts imposed across Punjab and Chandigarh amid military alerts and security concerns
Authorities in several districts of Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh imposed indefinite nighttime blackouts beginning Thursday, following alerts from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army in the wake of heightened tensions along the India-Pakistan border after Operation Sindoor. The affected areas include Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Chandigarh, with neighboring Mohali and Haryana's Panchkula also ordering lights-out measures. The decisions, officials said, are precautionary and stem from security advisories amid rising speculation about aerial threats. In Hoshiarpur, the district administration was among the first to act. Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain on Tuesday night ordered an indefinite district-wide blackout, directing all external lighting—household, street, generator, and inverter-based—to remain off. 'The blackout has been ordered as a security measure based on inputs from the Indian Air Force,' Jain said. 'It will remain in force until further instructions.' She urged residents to cooperate and avoid panic. The move came hours after a mysterious cylindrical object—white, metallic, and marked 'Test Port Seeker'—fell into the courtyard of a home in Ghagwal village, Hajipur. The device, which had protruding wires and created a loud noise on impact, was recovered by police and later handed over to an IAF team. Officials suspect it may be a data recorder from an aircraft. Forensic and anti-sabotage teams were dispatched to the site. In Pathankot, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal, said, 'Considering recent developments, we cannot take things lightly. The public must follow blackout protocols,' he said. He described the May 7–8 midnight blackout as a readiness drill for potential emergencies. In Gurdaspur, a nightly blackout from 9 pm to 5 am has been ordered by Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal, to remain in effect until further notice. Military zones are exempt. Similar advisory-based blackouts are in place in Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Faridkot, and Jalandhar, depending on real-time alerts from defense agencies. Amritsar, which saw blackouts both Wednesday and Thursday night, has also imposed a ban on fireworks, including aerial and Chinese variants, at weddings and religious events. The district administration, invoking Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, cited the potential for panic. 'The ban will stay in effect until further notice,' officials stated. To curb hoarding, Amritsar DC Sakshi Sahni has formed a special task force led by the district food supply controller and mandi officer to monitor markets. 'No one will be allowed to hoard essentials like grains, milk, petrol, diesel, or fodder,' she said. 'There is no shortage in the district, and the public should not panic.' Meanwhile, Tarn Taran has ordered all schools shut from May 8 to 11, citing student safety. Concerns have escalated following the Ministry of Defence's disclosure that potential aerial threats to Amritsar, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, and Bathinda were neutralised by the IAF overnight on May 7–8.
