Pakistani Drone Attacks Thwarted in Punjab; Three Family Members Injured in Ferozepur Incident

Security forces successfully intercepted multiple drone attacks from Pakistan in Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, and Amritsar districts on Friday evening. Local authorities imposed a blackout after explosions were heard. In Ferozepur, a projectile from a downed Pakistani drone hit a house in Village Khai Pheme Ke, causing a fire that injured three people: Lakhwinder Singh, his wife Sukhwinder Kaur, and his brother Monu Singh.

Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma confirmed teams were sent to the affected village. The incident followed India's thwarting of Pakistani attempts to target military sites with drones and missiles in Jammu and Pathankot. This escalation has heightened tensions between the two countries, raising concerns about broader conflict.

Drone Attacks and Blackouts

Authorities enforced blackouts in several areas including Ferozepur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Muktsar, and Sangrur. Air raid sirens were activated in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur districts. Residents in Pathankot and Ferozepur reported hearing explosion-like sounds. Similar noises were also reported in Dera Baba Nanak area in Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Dasuya in Hoshiarpur, and Tarn Taran's Patti area.

A senior officer in Fazilka stated that Pakistani drones were spotted on Friday evening and neutralised. In Amritsar, a drone was detected around 9 pm and was promptly neutralised by armed forces. "Our forces spotted a drone, probably from Pakistan, and neutralised it in the air well in time before it could cause any damage," said a police officer.

Pathankot Under Attack

Pathankot experienced its second consecutive night of drone attacks from Pakistan. A police official made regular announcements urging residents to turn off lights and electronic devices including CCTV cameras and mobile phones. "Keep your lights completely switched off. Keep the lights of mobile phones, cameras and inverter sets switched off. Cover windows with curtains. Cooperate with the district administration. We are for your safety," the official announced.

Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal informed Pathankot residents about the blackout protocol for their safety. He urged them to stay indoors and follow guidelines during the blackout by keeping all lights off and avoiding backup power use. Vehicle drivers were advised to switch off lights and park safely while avoiding panic or rumours.

Hoshiarpur Blackout Enforcement

The Hoshiarpur district administration enforced a blackout at 8:15 pm as part of security measures against Pakistani drone attacks targeting 26 locations from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat for the second night on Friday. Defence sources confirmed that enemy attempts to hit vital installations like airports and air bases were successfully thwarted.

On Thursday night, India had already foiled Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles after preventing attacks on military installations in 15 cities across northern and western India. These renewed efforts by Pakistani forces followed precise missile strikes by Indian armed forces on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor as retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

With inputs from PTI