Residents of Jammu woke to loud explosions and air raid sirens around 4:15 AM on Friday, triggering a city-wide blackout and panic across the region.
The early morning chaos followed intense military exchanges along the India-Pakistan border as tensions soared for the second consecutive day.
According to defence sources, the Indian Armed Forces successfully intercepted at least eight Pakistani missiles in the Jammu region, including Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia. India’s S-400 air defence system neutralized the threats as part of a broad response to multiple aerial attacks launched by Pakistan along the western front.
Military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur were also targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. “The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities as per established SOPs,” a defence spokesperson said. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.
On Thursday night, Indian forces repelled coordinated strikes in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat amid widespread blackouts ordered as a precautionary measure.
India responded swiftly, launching kamikaze drones into Pakistani territory and destroying an enemy air defence installation in Lahore.
Pakistani forces had reportedly attempted to target 15 Indian cities using drones and missiles, including key military and civilian hubs like Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Chandigarh, and Bhuj.
These developments come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The Indian government has blamed Pakistan-based terror outfits for orchestrating the attack, prompting a wave of retaliatory measures and cross-border operations.
Tensions remain critically high as both countries continue to exchange military and diplomatic warnings.
