India-Pakistan tensions: Drones observed along IB in Jammu's Samba, Punjab's Jalandhar; officials say situation calm now

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Drone activity was observed for a few hours late on Monday along the International Border in Jammu's Samba district as well as Punjab's Jalandhar district.

However, the army said late in the night that the situation was calm and under control. "No enemy drones are being reported at present."

Earlier, the army had said security forces were engaging the suspected drones in Samba district.

The drone activity along the border came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.

The army had said there was no need to be alarmed.

"A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in Jammu and Kashmir. They are being engaged," it had said.

In the backdrop of the situation, several areas in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Jammu witnessed blackouts.

Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.

The latest hostilities between India and Pakistan began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The hostilities affected five border districts -- Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu.

The recent round of cross-border firings further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which had largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan's frequent violations along the 740-kilometre Line of Control (LoC).

Meanwhile, a senior district official in Punjab's Jalandhar said the armed forces neutralised a suspected "surveillance drone".

Deputy Commissioner (Jalandhar) Himanshu Aggarwal said, "I have been informed that one surveillance drone was brought down by the armed forces around 9:20 pm near Mand village. An expert team is looking for the debris."

In a message at 10:45 pm, he advised people against going near any debris and to immediately inform the nearest police station.

It has also been informed that there was no drone activity since 10 pm, Aggarwal said.

The Jalandhar deputy commissioner urged residents to remain calm and not burst firecrackers, as had been reported in some areas.

Earlier, he had said that lights had been switched off in some areas around Suranassi as a precautionary measure after reports of drone sightings.

"We are verifying them. There is no (total) blackout as of now. There is nothing to worry, as confirmed by armed forces officers. They are on regular vigil as always," Aggarwal had said in a message at 9:15 pm.

Punjab shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.

Precautionary blackout measures were also enforced in Punjab's Amritsar and and a few areas of Hoshiarpur districts.

An Amritsar-bound IndiGo flight returned to Delhi after blackout measures were enforced, sources said.

They said the flight had to return as the Amritsar airport was closed due to the precautionary blackout.

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