Pakistan Army Firing Kills 15 Civilians, Blackout Drill Conducted Across India

NEW DELHI (ANI)- Fifteen civilians have been killed and 43 others injured in artillery fire by the Pakistan Army targeting civilian areas in Kashmir’s Poonch and Tangdhar, Indian defense sources reported on May 7.

The shelling, which struck border villages, has caused panic among residents and damaged several houses. The artillery fire shattered windows, cracked walls, and damaged infrastructure.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened an emergency meeting to address the ongoing situation.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the attack on the Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch, which resulted in the deaths of three Sikhs. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also condemned the attack, emphasizing that targeting innocent civilians is wrong. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the departed souls.

Drills

Meanwhile, around India, several states observed blackouts as part of the nationwide civil defense mock drills ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The exercise, which involved scheduled blackouts at key locations, aimed to test the country’s emergency preparedness against potential threats.

From Rashtrapati Bhavan and Vijay Chowk in Delhi to Raj Bhavan in Patna, lights were switched off at several key places. The exercise involved scheduled blackouts at several major locations across the country.

Cities like Barmer in Rajasthan, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, Surat in Gujarat, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar also took part in the drill.

Mock drills were carried out across major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Jaipur, to evaluate local response capabilities to security challenges.