Pakistani troops resumed firing across the Line of Control (LoC), including Kupwara and Uri, early Friday morning. This came after Indian army foiled Pakistani military’s attempts to target 15 cities in northern and western India, using drones and missiles, on Thursday night.
The drone and missile attacks by the neighbouring country were reported in Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir, prompting authorities to activate the defence systems, sirens and enforce a complete blackout in most areas. Sources said a Pakistan F-16 was shot down by the Indian forces although an official confirmation is awaited.
Meanwhile, panic spread among villagers in Jaisalmer’s Kishan Ghat after they found a bomb-like object outside their houses on Friday morning, prompting the authorities to step in.
“We could hear the siren all night. Around 9pm, all we could see were sparks and objects falling from the sky. We heard a loud sound that appeared to have come from outside the house but were too scared to leave. As we came out of our house this morning, we found this bomb-like object,” Chandan, a villager, said.
Chandan’s neighbour, Mukesh, said the villagers immediately alerted the police, who in return informed the army. “The army men arrived 30 minutes later. They cordoned off the area and asked us not to touch it,” Mukesh said.
Women raised concerns over such missile and drone strikes, saying children often tend to get tempted to touch such bomb-like objects out of curiosity.