Ahead of Pahalgam anniversary, J-K border district puts plans for mock drills on hold

The letter had said, “Necessary arrangements, including public awareness, logistics and coordination with other stakeholders shall be ensured well in advance.” It had asked officials to “submit action taken reports to this office for onward submission to the higher authorities”.

Sayeed had described the exercise being conducted by Civil Defence and SDRF as “routine one”.

A senior officer of the Civil Defence and SDRF had said that the drill was meant to check the administration’s preparedness to meet any exigency and to make people aware of what to do in such situations.

Officials said that as part of the mock drills, there were plans to activate sirens simulating emergency alerts, including blackouts. Such an “air raid/blackout drill” was last held in the district nearly two years ago, said an official who did not want to be named.

The mock drills would have coincided with the anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 25 tourists and a local man were killed by gunmen on April 22 last year. The attack prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

This resulted in a brief conflict between India and Pakistan, with the latter targeting the civilian population on the Indian side, especially in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. At least 14 civilians were killed and 35 others injured, and a large number of houses were damaged in shelling by Pakistani troops in Poonch. In Rajouri, three civilians, including a J&K Administrative Service Officer and a child, were killed and scores of others were injured in Pakistan shelling.