Following the national address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday night, mystery drones were seen flying over Jammu and Kashmir's Samba and Punjab's Jalandhar. The flights led to spontaneous security measures like enforced blackouts and increased military alertness in the areas affected.
Local officials in Jalandhar confirmed the ordering of a temporary blackout after the reports of drone sightings. District Collector Himanshu Aggarwal said, "We have put a blackout for a while as some drones have reportedly been spotted in Jalandhar. Forces are verifying. Please remain calm and follow the blackout procedure".
Likewise, in Samba district, locals said they heard air raid sirens and suffered power cuts as defense forces reacted to the aerial attacks. These are among a series of recent drone and missile activities along India's western frontier, heightening tensions between India and Pakistan.
In the last couple of days, there have been several drone breaches in Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot areas. Defense officials reported that drones had been seen and were being targeted in the regions. Indian Armed Forces remained on high alert, with active air defense intercepting and taking out aerial attacks.
In Jalandhar and the surrounding villages, people claimed to have heard explosions throughout the night and early morning. Remains of missiles or drones were found in several places, such as Kangniwal, where a landing object destroyed a home and hurt an occupant. Further explosions were heard close to Khalyan, Sahni, and Naseerabad villages, leaving a huge crater in nearby fields and setting fires.
The Ministry of Defence has still not made any official statement over the recent sightings of drones. Yet, the Indian government has been firm on the point that it will adopt all measures that are required for protecting national security and territorial sovereignty.
As developments take place, citizens in these affected areas should stay indoors, keep following the official advisories, and continue to get news from credible sources.
