Drone Activity Triggers Security Alerts in Jammu and Punjab

Increased Drone Sightings Prompt Security Measures

Late Monday night, drones were spotted across the International Border in Jammu's Samba district and parts of Punjab's Jalandhar district, according to reports.

The Army confirmed its response to the drone activity, particularly in the Samba area, later stating that the situation was under control and posed no immediate threat.

Currently, there are no reports of enemy drones, the Army indicated, assuring that the situation remains calm and secure.

#WATCH | J&K: Red streaks seen and explosions heard as India's air defence intercepts Pakistani drones amid blackout in Samba.

(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/EyiBfKg6hs

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025

In Jalandhar, security forces successfully downed a suspected surveillance drone on Monday night, as reported by Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal.

According to Aggarwal, the armed forces brought down the drone near Mand village around 9:20 PM, and an expert team is currently examining the debris.

Following this incident, Aggarwal advised residents to steer clear of any drone fragments and to report any findings to local authorities. He confirmed that no drone activity had been detected since 10 PM.

As a precautionary measure, authorities had previously implemented a blackout in certain areas near Suranassi due to the drone sightings.

Blackouts were also enforced in various locations across Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, Jammu, and parts of Punjab, including Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur districts.

An IndiGo flight heading to Amritsar was forced to return to Delhi due to the blackout at its destination, as reported by a local media outlet.

Subsequently, airlines announced the cancellation of flights to several cities on Tuesday.

At 11:38 PM on Monday, IndiGo announced that, prioritizing passenger safety, flights to and from Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, and Rajkot were canceled for May 13.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Air India issued a similar announcement, stating that flights to and from Jammu, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot had been suspended.

This decision followed the cancellation of an order that had previously directed 32 airports to remain closed until May 15 amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

The recent uptick in drone activity coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, marking his first public statement following Operation Sindoor, and on the same day high-level military discussions took place between India and Pakistan's military leaders.

During his address, Modi emphasized that India would not tolerate 'nuclear blackmail' from Pakistan, asserting that Operation Sindoor represents India's strategy against cross-border terrorism.

He noted that India had merely paused its retaliatory actions against Pakistan's terrorist and military infrastructures for the time being, and that all actions taken by Pakistan would be closely monitored in the coming days.

Military officials from both nations agreed on Monday to consider immediate troop reductions along the borders and in forward areas, as stated by the Indian Army.

On Saturday, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to de-escalate four days of military tensions, with military leaders scheduled for discussions on Monday.

Tensions had escalated on May 7 when the Indian military conducted strikes, known as Operation Sindoor, targeting what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, resulting in the reported deaths of over 100 terrorists.

These strikes were a response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives on April 22.

The Pakistan Army retaliated by shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.