MHA asks media channels to avoid civil defence siren sounds in shows amid India-Pak tensions

The MHA order comes amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions and drone attacks towards Indian territory, prompting authorities to issue air raid sirens.

Updated on: May 10, 2025, 14:28:52 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday issued an advisory to all media channels to refrain from using Civil Defence Air Raid Sirens sounds in their programmes other than community awareness drives.

An air raid siren installed for testing on the terrace of a building is seen in New Delhi on May 9 (REUTERS)

The MHA order comes amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions and drone attacks by the latter towards Indian territory, prompting authorities to issue air raid sirens and blackouts for the safety of the public. Follow India-Pakistan tensions live news coverage here

Pakistan has been launching drones and missiles in the aftermath of the military strikes India carried out at terror infrastructures there under ‘Operation Sindoor’, which came in response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, a strike in which terrorists linked to Pakistan were found to have been involved.

India-Pak tensions escalate

Tensions between India and Pakistan reached an all-time high in years on Thursday evening after a Pakistani drone and missile attack reported from parts of Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan was thwarted by the Indian defence systems, prompting blackout enforcement, air raid sirens in the affected cities and suspension of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) match in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala midway.

All of this comes a day after ‘Operation Sindoor’ military strikes carried out by New Delhi on nine terror infrastructures in Islamabad, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.

On Friday evening, Pakistan launched a fresh wave of drone attacks targeting 26 locations in India -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- with the defence ministry saying the enemy's attempts to hit vital installations, including airports and air bases, were successfully thwarted.

India responded on Saturday as well to the Pakistani military's "provocative" and "escalatory" actions in a measured way. In a presss briefing on Saturday morning, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Islamabad is resorting to a wanton campaign of targeting innocent people and civilian infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

The heavy shelling by Pakistani forces in Jammu's Rajouri on Saturday, killed additional district development commissioner Raj Kumar Thapa and caused civilian casualties and destruction.

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HT News Desk
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