Pakistani drone attacks on Srinagar airport and Awantipora air base in south Kashmir were thwarted by India's air defence system on Friday night, reported PTI citing officials familiar with the matter.
Also Read: Pakistani drones intercepted in Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot amid escalating tensions
This marks the second attempted attack launched by Pakistan's military amid escalating tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Drones were sighted at 26 locations in India on Friday. The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala.
On Thursday, Pakistani armed forces had launched 300-400 drones against 36 locations in India, several of them being military installations.
Drones were also sighted in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials told PTI, stating that countermeasures had also been initiated.
Blasts heard, sirens sounded, blackouts enforced
Earlier in the evening on Friday, loud blasts were heard and sirens were sounded in the Jammu region. Several locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana experienced blackouts as a security precaution.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the evening on Friday, loud blasts were heard and sirens were sounded in the Jammu region. Several locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana experienced blackouts as a security precaution.
{{/usCountry}}Additionally, Pakistani drones were shot down in Jammu, Samba, Barmer, Pokhran, Ferozepur, Rajouri, Phalodi, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar.
Also Read: Pakistan used civilian planes as shield when it targeted India with drones
Pakistani shelling has also resumed along the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir in Uri, Kupwara and Poonch. This marks three days of heavy shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir leading to the loss of lives, injuries and damage to property for those living in border districts.
In Punjab's Firozpur, a Pakistani drone struck a residential area and injured a family, with one of them critically wounded.
In light of escalating tensions, the central government has extended its previous closure of 24 airports across India till 5:29 am on May 15.
Conflict has been brewing between neighbouring countries India and Pakistan after terrorists killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.
As a retaliatory measure, India launched Operation Sindoor, and destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Tension between the two neighbours soared after the Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday conducted precision strikes targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 attack by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.