Schools in five Punjab districts bordering Pakistan, with the exception of Gurdaspur, remained closed on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, officials said.
A senior government functionary informed IANS that the border districts, excluding Gurdaspur, kept schools shut.
Authorities in Amritsar, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur issued advisories shortly after the Prime Minister&rsquo;s address on Monday evening, urging residents to stay indoors unless necessary. A partial blackout was also imposed following instructions from Army authorities.
In Jalandhar, a surveillance drone was shot down by the armed forces on Monday evening. Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal stated, &ldquo;I have been informed that one surveillance drone was brought down by the armed forces around 9:20 p.m. near Mand village. An expert team is searching for the debris.&rdquo;
In a message issued at 10:45 p.m., he advised the public not to approach any debris and to immediately inform the nearest police station.
Later, Aggarwal confirmed that there was no drone activity in Jalandhar after 10:00 p.m.
The Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur also announced a partial blackout after receiving instructions from Army authorities.
Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain confirmed that explosions were heard in the Dasuya area. She said that, based on inputs from the armed forces, a blackout was imposed in the Dasuya and Mukerian areas.
In border district Amritsar, while general activity remained normal, an alert was sounded and a blackout was imposed for a few hours on Monday.
Sources said an Amritsar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi was diverted after drone activity was reported in other parts of the state, which shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan.
In the early hours, the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, Sakshi Sawhney, wrote on X, &ldquo;You may hear a short siren now &mdash; it signifies that the alert is over and we can resume our usual activities. Thanks for your cooperation.&rdquo;
Pathankot district also remained on high alert, with drones reportedly sighted in the Bamial area along the Indo-Pak border.
In his national address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised Islamabad for cross-border terrorism, asserting that dialogue and terrorism cannot go hand in hand.
&ldquo;Terror and talks cannot coexist. Terror and trade cannot go hand in hand. Water and blood can never flow together,&rdquo; said PM Modi.
&mdash; IANS

empty classrooms as schools are shutdown in few border districts of Punjab

Blackouts, school closures and PM Modi’s strong words mark tense day along Pakistan border

Punjab border districts on alert after drone threat

Blackouts, school closures and PM Modi’s strong words mark tense day along Pakistan border

May 13, 2025 | 08:57 IST