Drones spotted in Samba, Jalandhar, explosions in Hoshiarpur’s Dasuya
Pakistani drones were spotted in J&K and Punjab after PM Modi's address, prompting blackouts and military responses amid small arms fire at the border.
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.
