India activates missile defence system in Rajasthan, Punjab

A day after India’s precision missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, border states Rajasthan and Punjab are in alert mode. Leaves of all police personnel have been cancelled and public gatherings restricted as local authorities gear up for any escalation from the Pakistan side.

Rajasthan, which shares a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, is on high alert. The border has been completely sealed and Border Security Force personnel have been given shoot-on-sight orders if they spot any suspicious activity. Authorities in Rajasthan have also restricted movement near the border for those who don’t live there.

The Indian Air Force is on high alert. Flight movement from Jodhpur, Kishangarh and Bikaner airports has been suspended till May 9 as fighter jets patrol the skies in the western sector. Missile defence systems are activated, it is learnt.

Sukhoi-30 MKI jets are conducting air patrols from Ganganagar to the Rann of Kutch. Schools in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, and Barmer districts have been shut and ongoing exams have been postponed. Leaves of cops and Railways staff have been cancelled.

Border villages are on high alert and evacuation plans are in place for emergency response. Anti-drone systems near the border have also been activated. For Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, orders for blackout from midnight to 4 am have been issued. Blackouts create problems for advanced high-speed aircraft, making it difficult for enemy pilots to strike.

In Punjab, the leaves of all police personnel have been cancelled and public gatherings have been restricted. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also cancelled all government programmes because of the tension on the border.

India yesterday carried out 24 missile strikes to destroy terror infrastructure at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The strike, codenamed Operation Sindoor, was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocents were shot dead in cold blood.

(With inputs from NDTV)