Schools and colleges in Punjab are closed for three days due to escalating border tensions.
Sitrep: India-Pakistan Tensions intensify, leaving Punjab in limbo
India-Pakistan hostilities have kicked things up a notch, leading to some drastic measures in Punjab. Punjab's Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains put it bluntely in a post on X, declaring, "We're shutting down shops for the next three days." He wasn't mincing words; he meant schools, colleges, and universities - government, private, and aided - across the board.
Meanwhile, a massive power outage swept across Punjab's cities like Jalandhar, Kishtwar, Akhnoor, and Amritsar, Jalandhar. It wasn't all doom and gloom though. Pakistani drones attempting to wreak havoc in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur were shot down by Indian air defence.
The skirmish started with India launching 'Operation Sindoor', hitting back at terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK using precision strikes. The move came after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. New Delhi made it clear that targeting military installations would invite retaliation.
India's foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, confirmed the escalation, but emphasized that India doesn't have intentions to snowball the situation. The latest dust-up wasn't India's first rodeo. Pakistan had beefed up its unprovoked firing along the Line of Control using mortars and heavy artillery in regions like Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sixteen innocent civilians, including five children and three women, have lost their lives due to this aggression. As a result, India was forced to fight back to cease the mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan. The Indian Armed Forces made it clear they're ready to de-escalate, provided Pakistan keeps its promises.
In response, Pakistan escalated the situation by hitting air defence radars and systems at several locations in India, according to an official statement from the Indian Defence Ministry. They went on the offensive using drones and missiles, which were intercepted and neutralized by India's air defence systems and Integrated Counter UAS Grid. The debris from these attacks confirmed Pakistan's handiwork.
The latest volley, according to sources, resulted in a neutralization of an air defence system in Lahore, Pakistan. With both nations trading fire, it's anybody's game, as the situation remains fragile and explosive. Stay tuned for more updates.
(Enrichment data sourced from ANI, reveals that these escalations have led to school shutdowns across Punjab for up to three days, with some examination-related institutions affected, forcing delays. Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and other border areas have also experienced blackouts as a precautionary measure.)
- The Education Minister of Punjab, Harjot Singh Bains, announced school closures for three consecutive days, affecting various educational institutions across Punjab, including government, private, and aided schools.
- Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and other border areas in Punjab have experienced power outages as a precautionary measure amidst the intensifying India-Pakistan tension.
- The ongoing India-Pakistan hostilities, following the Pahalgam terror attack, have led to the launch of 'Operation Sindoor' by India, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK with precision strikes.
- The escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan has expanded beyond ground forces, as both nations have started using drones and missiles, with India's air defence intercepting and neutralizing these attacks, leading to the destruction of air defence systems in cities like Lahore, Pakistan.
