New Delhi: After India's precision missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, border states Rajasthan and Punjab were in alert mode. Leaves of all police personnel were canceled and public gatherings restricted as local authorities geared up for any escalation from the Pakistan side.
Rajasthan, which shares a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, was on high alert. The border has been completely sealed and Border Security Force personnel have been given shoot-on-sight orders if they spot any suspicious activity.
The Indian Air Force was on high alert. Flight movement from Jodhpur, Kishangarh and Bikaner airports has been suspended till May 10 as fighter jets patrol the skies in the western sector. Missile defence systems are activated, it is learnt.
Sukhoi-30 MKI jets are conducting air patrols from Ganganagar to the Rann of Kutch. Schools in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, and Barmer districts have been shut and ongoing exams have been postponed. Leaves of cops and Railways staff have been cancelled.
Border villages were on high alert and evacuation plans were in place for emergency response. Anti-drone systems near the border have also been activated. For Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, orders for blackouts from midnight to 4 am have been issued. Blackouts create problems for advanced high-speed aircraft, making it difficult for enemy pilots to strike.
In Punjab, the leaves of all police personnel have been canceled and public gatherings have been restricted. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also canceled all government programmes because of the tension on the border.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India's actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible. "They focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India," he said.
