Explosions rock Jammu, Amritsar amid rising India-Pakistan tensions

Fresh wave of explosions reported across border cities as deadly military escalation enters fourth day following Indian airstrikes and Pakistan’s expected retaliation

AMRITSAR, India (MNTV) — Explosions struck the cities of Jammu and Amritsar, along with several areas of Indian-administered Kashmir late Friday, as India and Pakistan continued to exchange fire in their most intense military standoff since the 1999 Kargil conflict.

The Indian military said it intercepted and shot down multiple drones across its northern states, with ten blasts reported near Srinagar airport and further explosions recorded in at least a dozen other locations.

A blackout was reported in Jammu for the second night in a row, heightening tension and confusion among residents.

“Drones have been sighted … they are being engaged,” a senior Indian military official told local media on condition of anonymity.

However, the claims are yet unconfirmed by Pakistani officials. Pakistan Army also denied last night’s claims of Indian authorities that it launched an aerial attack against India, prompting it to activate Indian air defense systems.

Amritsar, home to the Sikh Golden Temple, witnessed its first explosions since the outbreak of cross-border clashes on Wednesday.

The development has fueled concern that the conflict could expand beyond Kashmir, pulling in other regions of India’s northwest.

Indian Air Force officials alleged that Pakistan deployed Turkish-manufactured drones to strike 36 targets in western and northwestern India, reaching as far as the Arabian Sea.

In response, India launched counter-drone strikes into Pakistani territory and claimed to have destroyed at least one Pakistani air defense system.

Meanwhile, officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said five civilians, including an infant, were killed and 29 others wounded in heavy shelling from across the Line of Control early Friday.

Islamabad has rejected New Delhi’s claims of initiating attacks, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar labeling them “baseless and misleading.”

The escalation began after India carried out what it called “precision strikes” on alleged militant infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the April attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, Indian Kashmir.

Casualty estimates from both sides suggest around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, though these figures remain unverified.

The mounting violence has triggered mass displacement of villagers from border areas, long lines at grocery stores, and advisories urging civilians to remain indoors.

India’s cricket board suspended the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday, citing security concerns, while the Pakistan Super League, the national cricket event, also postponed due to threat of Indian attack.

The renewed fighting has alarmed international observers, as India and Pakistan—both nuclear-armed—have a history of conflict, including three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.

With drones now featuring prominently in the evolving conflict, security analysts warn that the escalation marks a new chapter in South Asia’s volatile security landscape, where conventional and modern warfare methods are converging at unprecedented speed.