Pakistan violates ceasefire: Firing, drones trigger blackouts in J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat

NEW DELHI: Barely hours into announcement of the ceasefire pact between India and Pakistan, there were multiple and sustained incidents of firing by the Pakistan forces along the international border/LoC, including in Rajouri, Akhnoor, R S Pora, Udhampur and Jammu; besides drone attacks and “explosions” in Srinagar.Drone activity was also reported in Poonch, Udhampur and other parts of south Kashmir including Anantnag; Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan; and Kutch in Gujarat.The continous ceasefire violations prompted the announcement of blackouts across several border districts of J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.Sources said nearly 50 drones were shot down in Srinagar by the Indian air defence systems and the firing, effectively retaliated, across all sectors. “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire. Explosions heard across Srinagar!” J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said while posting a video of the drone sightings on X at 8.53 pm. Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi too, in a post on X 9.30 pm, spoke of “several drones” having been spotted in Kutch district and an imminent blackout.Senior officials of BSF, which guards the international border and is also deployed with the Indian Army on the LoC, told TOI that they have been directed to maintain the same level of alert as prior to declaration of the ceasefire pact, and retaliate befittingly to its violation by the Pakistani forces. The Army too has been given a free hand to strongly counter any such misadventure. The district administrations are advising the border residents to continue taking precaution and stay in bunkers or earmarked shelters, amid the shelling from across Pakistan.On Friday night, BSF, during retaliatory firing in Jammu sector, caused widespread damage to posts and assets of Pakistan Rangers along the IB. A terrorist launchpad at Looni in Sialkot, PoK, opposite Akhnoor area was also destroyed. Looni launchpad was a major infiltration point for terrorists from Pakistan, a BSF officer told TOI.BSF on Saturday also lost one personnel injured in firing at R S Pura on Friday night. “We salute the supreme sacrifice made by BSF braveheart Sub-Inspector Md Imteyaz in service of the nation,” the force said in a post on X.In Punjab on Saturday night, several towns close to the border — Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Barnala, Ropar, Fazilka and Sangrur — witnessed blackouts. Hoshiarpur DC Aashika Jain cited the “indication” received from the Indian Air Force, while announcing a blackout beginning at 9 pm. The Jalandhar DC ordered streetlights to be switched off as a precautionary measure.In Haryana, a blackout was ordered in Ambala till 5 am on Sunday.In Rajasthan, by around 8 pm, drones flown from across the border were sighted in Pokhran in Jaisalmer district and in parts of Barmer district.Following the ceasefire violations, a red alert was issued again in the four border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Sriganganagar and Bikaner as well as in the neighbouring districts of Jodhpur and Phalodi. Blackouts were promptly enforced in the six districts.Barmer collector Tina Dabi said that after the ceasefire, all restrictions were lifted, and markets allowed to open. However, later in the evening, defence sources informed about drone movements in Barmer from across the border. A red air alert was reissued and a blackout declared in Barmer from 8 pm to 6 am.Jaisalmer collector Pratap Singh said blackouts would be enforced across Jaisalmer from 8:30 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday. Bikaner too reimposed blackout around 9.15 pm Saturday, barely 30 minutes after withdrawing the earlier restrictions.(with inputs from Srinagar, Jammu, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Jaipur)