Pakistani drones sighted at 26 Indian locations, leave 3 injured in Punjab's Ferozepur

Drones, including the armed ones, were sighted at 26 locations in India, ranging from Baramulla in the North to Bhuj in the South, along both the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the government said on Friday.

A drone landed at a house in Village Khai Pheme in Punjab's Ferozepur, leaving at least three injured and a massive fire.

"Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in severe injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitised by security forces" the army statement said.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha confirmed that drones from Pakistan have been fired into civilian areas in Punjab.

"Pakistan has once again proven that it's a terrorist state - firing drones into civilian areas of Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan. In my own state of Punjab, innocent civilians have been severely injured. The world needs to see how Pakistan is provoking India. Shameful and cowardly," Chadha posted on X.

The Indian armed forces have intercepted all the incoming drones, and the Air Defence System was activated.

The locations targeted include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet, and Lakhi Nala, the government statement said.

The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under close and constant watch, and prompt action is being taken wherever necessary.

Citizens, especially in border areas, have been advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential.

Jammu, Samba, and Pathakot were plunged into darkness, and air sirens went off as Pakistan continued its artillery shelling along the Line of Control. Blackouts were also reported across several other cities.

"Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am," Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.

"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. Ignore rumours, don't spread unsubstantiated or unverified stories & we will get through this together," the Chief Minister added.

The latest attack comes after India thwarted 300 to 400 drones launched by Pakistan towards 36 urban centres during the May 8 attack amid escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Two weeks after the Pahalgam attack took place, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Indian Army, in a statement, said: "On the night of 07-08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles."

"These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks," the statement said.

The Indian Ministry of Defence said the Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan.

"Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised," the statement said.

The Indian Armed Forces also foiled a major infiltration bid at the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district and killed at least seven terrorists on Friday.

The infiltration bid was foiled on the intervening night of May 8 and 9.

The Indian government on Friday said Pakistan did not close its airspace and allowed civilian flights to operate while launching drones on multiple targets across 36 locations in India on Thursday.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said Pakistan is using the civil airliner as a shield despite knowing that by attacking across the border, it would elicit a swift air defence response.

"Pakistan is using civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights that were flying near IB between India and Pakistan," she said.