A blackout was enforced across several districts of Punjab, including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and Mohali, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, on Thursday evening, amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. In Jalandhar, security forces neutralized drones spotted around 11:20 pm, officials reported.

In Pathankot, locals reported hearing explosion-like sounds, though there was no official confirmation. One resident of Sujanpur described the experience as terrifying, with loud noises and continuous sirens. Air raid warning sirens were activated in Pathankot, and the blackout began around 8:30 pm. Authorities urged people to turn off their lights and stay indoors, reassuring them not to panic.

The blackout also extended to other areas, including Rupnagar, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bathinda, Patiala, and Panchkula in Haryana, as a precautionary safety measure. The Mohali district administration declared Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar a "No Flying Zone" for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from May 8 to July 5, with exceptions for law enforcement.

Punjab remains on high alert, with schools in border districts closed and all police leave canceled. This follows India's missile strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. On Thursday night, India thwarted Pakistan's attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles in Jammu and Pathankot.