The Chandigarh administration on Friday issued an air warning alert following intelligence inputs of a possible aerial attack, prompting authorities to sound sirens across the city.
“This is a precautionary measure in view of an air warning received from the Air Force Station. Citizens are advised to stay calm, remain indoors, and await further instructions from official sources,” read a statement from the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
As a safety measure, all educational institutions in Chandigarh—the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana—were ordered shut until Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) flagged a coordinated disinformation campaign by certain Pakistani social media accounts and segments of mainstream media. The goal, it said, was to instill fear among the Indian population.
The PIB’s fact-check unit clarified that a viral video claiming to show a drone attack in Jalandhar was, in fact, footage of an unrelated farm fire. “The video had a timestamp of 7:39 p.m., while the actual drone activity began later,” it noted. This was further confirmed by the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar.
Amid rising tensions, Punjab—sharing a 532-km border with Pakistan—has shut down all educational institutions and cancelled scheduled examinations.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “In view of the evolving situation, it is hereby ordered that all schools, colleges, and universities—government, private, and aided—across Punjab will remain closed for the next three days.”
On Thursday night, blackouts were reported in six border districts—Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran—following attempted drone intrusions from Pakistan.
