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India
As border tensions with Pakistan escalate, air raid sirens were activated in Delhi on Friday as part of a mock civil defence drill, sparking brief moments of alarm in the national capital.
The Delhi government confirmed that the sirens were part of a planned preparedness exercise and urged the public not to panic. The Directorate of Civil Defence tested the sirens at the Public Works Department (PWD) headquarters at ITO, with the drill scheduled to run from 3:00 PM to 3:20 PM.
“The testing will be carried out for a period of 15–20 minutes,” the government said in a statement. “It is requested that adequate publicity be made through social and electronic media so the general public are advised to stay calm and not to panic.”
District Magistrate (Central), G Sudhakar, echoed this sentiment, urging residents to remain composed during the alert.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma also revealed that the city will expand its emergency preparedness by installing 40–50 more air raid sirens across Delhi. “These sirens will be mounted on high-rise buildings and will cover an area of up to 8 km each. Installation starts tonight and will be completed in the next few days. The sirens will be centrally controlled and used only in emergency situations,” he said.
Pakistan Intensifies Attacks with Missiles and Drones
The siren drill comes amid a major escalation in cross-border hostilities. For a second consecutive day, Pakistan launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Indian military installations in Pathankot (Punjab), and Jammu and Udhampur (J&K). At least eight missiles were fired, and drones were intercepted over Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. However, all hostile projectiles were successfully shot down by Indian defence systems, averting significant damage.
In light of the threat, blackouts were enforced in several cities, including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and Jaisalmer, as a precautionary measure.
In a statement on Friday, the Indian Army confirmed,“Pakistan Armed Forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along the entire Western Border on the night of May 8–9. They also violated the ceasefire multiple times along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. All drone attacks were effectively repulsed, and a befitting reply was given.”
India’s Response and Operation Sindoor
These Pakistani offensives are in retaliation to India’s precision strikes earlier in the week under Operation Sindoor. India had targeted terror bases in Pakistan, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
Pakistan responded with widespread drone and missile attacks on Indian cities like Srinagar, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhuj, and others, targeting military installations. However, India neutralized at least one Pakistani air defence system in Lahore in its counter-operations.
With rising tensions along the Western Border, India’s armed forces remain on high alert, and authorities in Delhi are bolstering civilian preparedness with air raid systems and blackout protocols.
