Pakistani drone attacks thwarted in Punjab; three of family injured in Ferozepur

Authorities enforced blackouts at many places, including Ferozepur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Muktsar and Sangrur

Security forces said multiple attacks by Pakistani drones in Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, and Amritsar districts were thwarted on Friday evening as local authorities clamped a blackout upon hearing explosions.

Ferozepur Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh said a crashing projectile from the Pakistani drone destroyed by the air defense system landed at a house in Village Khai Pheme Ke, setting the structure and a car on fire.

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Three people — Lakhwinder Singh, his wife Sukhwinder Kaur and his brother Monu Singh — were injured and they were rushed to a private hospital, police said, adding that Lakhwinder's condition was stated to be critical.

Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said teams were dispatched to the village where the house was damaged and three people were injured.

The attack came a day after India swiftly thwarted Pakistan's attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles, including in Jammu and Pathankot, after foiling similar bids at multiple places in the northern and western regions of the country, as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider conflict.

Authorities enforced blackouts at many places, including Ferozepur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Muktsar and Sangrur. Air raid sirens were sounded in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur districts.

In Pathankot and Ferozepur, locals claimed that they heard explosion-like sounds. There were also reports of similar sounds in Dera Baba Nanak area in Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Dasuya in Hoshiarpur, and Tarn Taran's Patti area.

A senior officer in Fazilka said Pakistani drones were sighted in Fazilka on Friday evening and they were neutralised.

In Amritsar, a Pakistani drone, which was spotted around 9 pm was neutralised by the armed forces. "Our forces spotted a drone, probably from Pakistan, and neutralised it in the air well in time before it could cause any damage," a police officer said.

In Pathankot, a police official could be heard making regular announcements to citizens, urging them to keep lights and electronic items, even CCTV cameras and mobile phones, switched off.

"Keep your lights completely switched off. Keep the lights of mobile phones, cameras and inverter sets switched off. Cover windows with curtains. Cooperate with the district administration. We are for your safety," said the official, making the announcement.

Pathankot came under Pakistani drone attack for the second consecutive night.

The district's Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal informed residents that a blackout protocol has been implemented in the district for their safety. "Hence, it is their responsibility to stay inside their homes and follow the protocol." During the blackout, keep lights of your home completely off, do not use any backup power while those driving vehicles should also switch off the lights and park safely, the officer said while urging people not to panic and avoid paying heed to rumours.

The Hoshiarpur district administration enforced the blackout at 8:15 pm.

Pakistan launched a fresh drone attack targeting 26 locations — from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat — for the second night on Friday, with the Ministry of Defence on Saturday saying the enemy's attempts to hit vital installations, including airports and air bases, have been successfully thwarted.

On Thursday night, India thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles after foiling its attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country.

The renewed attempts by the Pakistani forces came after the Indian armed forces on Wednesday carried out precise missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Published - May 10, 2025 12:06 pm IST