SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Ten explosions were heard near Srinagar International Airport in Jammu and Kashmir, officials have reported. The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighboring Punjab state. An Indian military official confirmed that "drones have been sighted" and "they are being engaged."
Drone attacks on Srinagar airport and south Kashmir's Awantipora air base were thwarted late on Friday, according to officials. Drones were also sighted in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, with countermeasures initiated. The sky was lit up in Baramulla district as the Indian military shot down incoming Pakistani drones.
Widespread Drone Incursions
The Indian army said in a statement late on Friday that drones were sighted in 26 locations across a wide area of the country's west and northwest, from J&K and states bordering Pakistan to the edge of the Arabian Sea.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed during a press briefing that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. Initial investigations suggest the drones were Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models.
"On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control," Colonel Qureshi stated.
Military Responses
In response to the drone incursions, Indian Air Force officer Vyomika Singh said the country responded with drones on targets in Pakistan and destroyed one air defense system.
A Pakistan Army spokesman said after midnight that India had fired ballistic missiles, claiming they landed in their own territory. In a short video statement on state TV, the spokesman said: "I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from Adampur. One of the ballistic missiles hit in Adampur, the rest of the five missiles hit in Indian Punjab area of Amritsar."
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The government in India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites, which they called "Operation Sindoor," while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
Civilian Impact
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides - which have not been independently verified. India says at least 13 of its civilians have been killed and 59 wounded from cross-border gunfire and shelling, while Pakistan says at least 31 of its civilians have died and about 50 have been wounded by Indian airstrikes and artillery shelling.
Kalia Devi was among hundreds of fearful civilians evacuated before dawn from the line of fire along India's northwestern border with Pakistan as clashes between the two nuclear-armed arch-rivals intensified. Many civilian families from R S Pura border town and its adjoining villages evacuated and provided shelter in school building in Bishnah in Jammu district.
Similarly, some reports suggested that some of the border villagers were evacuated from Ramgarh and provided shelter in Vijaypur and Samba in Samba district by the authorities, who are providing food and lodging facilities.
Dr Zeshan Daoud, a 32-year-old doctor in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, described being awoken by thunderous bombardment Wednesday morning local time. "The shelling was so intense that our house began to shake violently. My entire family, including women and children, were in a state of panic, terrified of what might come next," he told CNN.
Multiple residential buildings were damaged in the Kupwara, Poonch, and Rajouri sectors of Jammu in cross-border shelling by Pakistan on Thursday.
Official Responses
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged people in and around Jammu to remain indoors amid sounds of blasts and blackout. "It's my earnest appeal to everyone in & around Jammu please stay off the streets, stay at home or at the nearest place you can comfortably stay at for the next few hours," he wrote on social media platform X.
Omar Abdullah also visited Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu to inquire about the well-being of civilians injured in the recent cross-border shelling incidents. Health Minister Sakina Masood Itoo and Agriculture Minister Javed Dar visited GMC Baramulla to meet injured civilians and assess the healthcare arrangements.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police made announcements urging residents to follow blackout protocols and respond promptly to sirens amid heightened tensions in the region. As a precautionary measure, markets in Jammu City began closing operations.
Travel Disruptions
India suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, because of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
The authorities have extended closure of Srinagar, Jammu, and Leh airports until May 14. A senior aviation officer stated that the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) for closure of airports has been extended in view of the prevailing situation. Twenty-four airports were closed in some northern states, including Jammu and Kashmir, affecting regular and Hajj flight operations.
Escalation Context
Tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict. The current escalation follows a terrorist attack on April 22 in the idyllic tourist spot of Pahalgam in Kashmir, where 26 people, mostly tourists, were shot dead by gunmen.
Pakistan has resumed heavy shelling in the Poonch sector, further escalating border tensions. Pakistan also resorted to small arms and artillery fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening, with the Indian Army responding proportionately.
International Response
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan. The situation remains volatile, with international calls for restraint and diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
India/Pakistan: Urgent need to protect civilians amidst escalating hostilities
Responding to the escalating armed engagement between India and Pakistan, Carolyn Horn, Programme Director for Law and Policy at Amnesty International said:
“The escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan has already taken a toll on civilians. Amnesty International is concerned by reports of loss of civilian lives in both India and Pakistan. In every armed conflict, protecting civilians is paramount— it’s a fundamental principle of international humanitarian law which binds all nations. Deliberate, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks harming civilians or damaging civilian infrastructure such as homes, hospitals, schools, and essential services, are strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols and under customary international law.
“Amnesty International calls on the governments of India and Pakistan to uphold their obligations under both international human rights and humanitarian law. They must take all necessary measures to protect civilians and minimize any suffering and casualties in both countries. As forces from both countries are now engaged in open hostilities, Amnesty International insists that neither security nor justice will be achieved with the senseless loss of more civilian lives.
(This news has been updated as explosions were heard in Jammu and Srinagar cities on Saturday morning creating panic)
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