Series of explosions cause damage in civilian areas of Jammu

People across Jammu on Saturday woke up to blast-like sounds as sirens rang out in the city amid a fresh wave of suspected drone attacks by Pakistan, officials said. Artillery and mortar shelling were also reported from the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district, they said.

Deafening sounds of explosions started rattling Jammu and Udhampur towns around 5 am with officials confirming a fresh wave of drone attack from across the border, triggering panic among the people. Significant damage was caused to civilian areas in Jammu city. A series of explosions damaged several houses and properties across the region, triggering panic among residents.

On Friday night, drones were sighted at 26 locations, ranging from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla in the north to Gujarat's Bhuj in the south, along both the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, according to Defence officials. "These included suspected armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets,” the officials said.

The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota and Jammu in J-K, Ferozpur, Pathankot and Fazilka in Punjab, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan, and Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala in Gujarat.

The latest drone attack came a day after India thwarted attempts by Pakistan to hit Indian military installations using drones and missiles. Heavy cross-border shelling was also reported along the LoC and International Border intermittently in different sectors of Jammu region throughout the night. Artillery shells hit Rajouri, Poonch, Surankote and Nowshera towns, the officials said.