ਲੋਕ in ਪੰਜਾਬ’s border districts like Amritsar, Pathankot, and Ferozepur spent a tense night on Thursday after the ਸਰਕਾਰ enforced a full blackout due to rising tensions between ਭਾਰਤ and Pakistan. Electricity was also cut in other districts such as Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, and even in Chandigarh and Mohali, where power was out for about two hours.
The blackout came after ਭਾਰਤ stopped a fresh attack by Pakistan. According to the Defence Ministry, Pakistani drones and missiles targeted military sites in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and 12 other northern and western cities. This was in response to ਭਾਰਤ’s earlier missile strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These strikes followed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
In Pathankot, some residents reported hearing explosion-like sounds, although officials did not confirm any such incident. Air raid sirens were sounded, and ਲੋਕ were asked to switch off lights and stay indoors from around 8:30 PM.
Despite the fear, many locals expressed confidence in the Indian armed forces. In Chandigarh, an elderly resident said he felt safe knowing the military was taking quick action. Calm was reported in affected areas by Friday morning.
Authorities have also closed all schools and colleges in ਪੰਜਾਬ for the next three days. In Chandigarh, schools are shut till Saturday. Officials are asking ਲੋਕ to stay calm and follow safety instructions.
