As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to intensify, cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces on Saturday caused significant damage to civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. Several homes were damaged and at least one civilian was injured in the explosions, which triggered widespread panic among residents.
Eyewitnesses reported loud blasts and rising smoke across the region. One of the injured was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. “One injured person has been brought here. Doctors and the entire team are ready. His treatment began immediately,” said Farukh Ahmed Wani, security in-charge at the hospital.
Fragments of explosive projectiles were recovered near the Aap Shambhu Temple, with Jammu Police and other security agencies responding swiftly to the scene.
Meanwhile, in Punjab’s Jalandhar district, a drone-related explosion damaged a house in Kanganiwal village. Local resident Surjeet Kaur recounted the terrifying moment: “A red-coloured flash came above our house, followed by a huge explosion. Everything went dark. Later, we saw that the water tank on our roof and our neighbours’ roofs had exploded.”
These attacks come amid broader escalations, with India retaliating on Saturday by striking at least four airbases in Pakistan. The strikes followed coordinated drone and missile attacks by Pakistan on 26 locations across India, including areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border.
The Ministry of Defence reported sightings of suspected armed drones at 26 sites, including Baramulla, Srinagar, Nagrota, Ferozpur, Pathankot, and Bhuj. One drone strike in Ferozpur injured members of a local family, prompting security forces to sanitize the area and heighten surveillance.
“The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert,” the Defence Ministry said. “All aerial threats are being tracked and countered using drone defence systems. Citizens are advised to remain indoors and follow safety instructions strictly.”
This latest round of hostilities follows the May 7–8 drone and missile attacks by Pakistan on Indian military bases, which were successfully intercepted. During those operations, Indian forces also neutralized an air defence system in Lahore. The initial trigger for this series of escalations was the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives and led to India’s launch of targeted strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).