Pakistani drone debris found in Punjab's Jalandhar after explosion

NEW DELHI: As Pakistan launched attacks on multiple locations across India, debris from a drone was recovered following a blast in Kanganiwal village in rural Jalandhar, Punjab, on Saturday. Surjeet Kaur, a local resident whose house was damaged in the Pakistani drone strike, recounted the incident in a conversation with news agency ANI: "A red coloured flash came above our house and there was a huge explosion.We got scared. Everything was dark. We came out of our houses after a short while and saw that the water tank above our houses and our neighbours' houses had exploded. There was a blackout at that time, and all the lights were off."In swift retaliation to Pakistan’s drone offensive across 26 Indian locations, India launched counter-strikes."Drones have been sighted at 26 locations along the International Border and LoC with Pakistan. These include suspected armed drones. The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala. Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitised by security forces," the ministry of sefence confirmed in a statement. "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 & prompt action is being taken wherever necessary. Citizens, especially in border areas, are 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," it added. Elsewhere, smoke was seen rising after a loud explosion in the Dibber area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir. A series of blasts caused damage to homes and property in Rajouri, while loud explosions were also reported in Rajouri and Akhnoor regions. A day earlier, after Indian air defence thwarted Pakistan’s attempt to target civilian infrastructure along the Line of Control and the International Border, Pakistani drones were again spotted over the Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot sectors on Friday. India had previously responded with precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), following the initial provocation from Pakistan through the Pahalgam terror attack. In the wake of India's response, Pakistan has escalated hostilities further — a move being met with strong countermeasures by Indian defence forces.