In Punjab border districts: Mid-air explosions, crashing drones, craters in agri field

In Amritsar, residents observed multiple flying objects and reported mid-air explosions throughout the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. The intensity of blasts increased early morning.

Later in the day, the Army issued a statement, “Pakistan’s escalation with drone strikes and other munitions continues along our western borders. Today at approximately 5am, multiple enemy drones were seen flying over Khasa Cantt in Amritsar. They were engaged and destroyed by our air defence units.”

Khasa hosts both Army and Border Security Force establishments. Not far away from Khasa, in Wadala Bhittewad village near Ram Tirath Road, a burning drone fell in the courtyard of a house. Locals managed to douse the flames. “It fell at around 5 am. Army officers reached within 15–20 minutes and took custody of the drone parts,” said Harvinder Singh, owner of the house.

Around the same time, locals at Chowk Parag Das recorded a video purportedly of drones and missiles near Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai Sahib Ji, in the centre of Amritsar.

In Tarn Taran, a police party near Goindwal Sahib witnessed two flying objects collide over the Beas river. “The objects fell into the river after the collision,” said head constable Jaspal Singh.

In Gurdaspur’s Raju Bela village, four to five blasts occurred in agricultural fields. One of the blasts created about 40 feet wide and 15 feet deep crater, roughly 50 km from the international border.

A resident Gurnam Singh said, “At around 4:45 am, there were multiple blasts. The shock shattered windows of my house about 300 meters away.”

A police official said no one was hurt in the incident. However, there was damage to electrical wires in the incident.

In Dubli village of Tarn Taran, a drone explosion was reported around 5:30 am. Here too, a deep crater was formed in the field, with drone debris scattered nearby. Police and security agencies reached the spot and secured the area. Forensic examination of the parts was underway.

A major scare gripped Barnala town around 8.10 am when residents heard a loud explosion followed by the sound of aircraft movement. Minutes later, the deputy commissioner ordered an immediate shutdown of all markets and instructed citizens to stay indoors. At 10.23 am, the administration issued a clarification, stating:

“As per communication received from the Security Officer of the Air Force Station (AFS), the loud sound heard this morning at approximately 8:10 am was due to a preparatory mock drill conducted by the AFS.”

Despite the clarification, market closure orders remained in effect for the day.

In Ferozepur, red alert sirens were activated in the morning, prompting the administration to instruct residents to stay inside their houses. Similar advisories were issued in Bathinda and Fazilka, too.

Deputy Commissioner (Bathinda) Showkat Ahmad Parray issued a statement at 10.23 am: “All sirens on. All members of the public are directed to stay indoors…Those in shops should remain inside.”