Will hit back if Pak strikes, says Defence Minister

New Delhi: A day after India launched precision missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, border states Rajasthan and Punjab have gone into high alert.

In Rajasthan, which shares a 1,037-km-long international border with Pakistan, authorities have sealed the entire stretch. The Border Security Force (BSF) has been granted shoot-on-sight orders in case of any suspicious activity. Civilian movement near the border has been restricted to only residents of the area.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) remains on high alert, with air operations suspended from Jodhpur, Kishangarh and Bikaner airports until May 9. Fighter jets, including Sukhoi-30 MKIs, are patrolling airspace from Ganganagar to the Rann of Kutch. Missile defence systems and anti-drone mechanisms have been activated along the border.

All schools in Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer and Barmer districts have been closed and ongoing examinations postponed. Leaves of police and Railway personnel have been cancelled. Evacuation protocols have been drawn up in vulnerable villages, and blackouts from midnight to 4 am have been ordered in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur to disrupt potential enemy aircraft navigation.

In neighbouring Punjab, similar security measures have been enacted. CM Bhagwant Mann has cancelled all government events, and Police leave has been revoked. Public gatherings are restricted to avoid any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting this morning that Operation Sindoor is an ongoing operation, and while India does not want to escalate the situation at this point, it will hit back if Pakistan strikes.

The Defence Minister shared information about yesterday’s strikes, while stressing that the government cannot share all details due to the situation’s sensitivity. Singh, sources said, told the all-party meeting that about 100 terrorists were killed in yesterday’s airstrikes.