On the evening of May 8, 2025, a major escalation unfolded along the India-Pakistan border, particularly impacting Jammu and Kashmir. Shortly before 9 pm, residents of Jammu reported hearing multiple loud explosions, followed by the wail of sirens and a sudden, enforced blackout across the city and its surrounding border areas. Mobile services were disrupted, heightening anxiety as locals struggled to contact their families and friends.

The attack came just hours after India’s precision strikes-dubbed Operation Sindoor-against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which were conducted in response to a deadly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan launched a coordinated assault using drones and missiles aimed at multiple military installations in northern and western India, including key locations such as the Jammu civil airport, RS Pura, Arnia, Samba, and Hiranagar.

Security agencies confirmed that eight missiles were launched from Pakistan targeting the Jammu civil airport, Samba, RS Pura, Arnia, and surrounding areas. All were intercepted by the S-400 air defence system.

Officials in Jammu said countermeasures have been employed and the Pakistani drones were downed by the Indian anti-drone system. 

One eyewitness reported seeing a drone dropping outside the Jammu airport.

As the threat escalated, India’s air defence systems, notably the S-400, were activated. The Indian Armed Forces successfully intercepted and destroyed at least eight incoming missiles over Jammu, preventing any reported damage to civilian or military infrastructure. The blackout in Jammu and other border areas, including parts of Punjab (such as Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur) and Rajasthan, was implemented to facilitate air defence operations and minimise potential casualties.

Simultaneously, heavy shelling was reported along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border sectors, including RS Pura, Arnia, Samba, Hiranagar, Akhnoor, Rajouri, and Reasi. Sirens were sounded in multiple locations, and authorities began evacuating residents from vulnerable border villages to temporary camps, such as those set up in Mishriwala, Jammu district.

The attacks mark a significant escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours, coming just a day after India’s largest cross-border strikes in decades. The Indian government has repeatedly emphasised that its actions are “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” targeting only terror infrastructure and avoiding Pakistani military establishments.

However, Pakistan’s response involved direct targeting of Indian military installations, which India countered by neutralising Pakistani air defence radars, including a system in Lahore.

Both sides have reported intercepting hostile drones and missiles. India’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that all Pakistani projectiles were neutralised by its Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems, with debris recovered from several locations as evidence of the attempted attacks. Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed to have downed 25 Indian drones over its territory, including major cities like Lahore and Karachi.

While Indian interception efforts prevented significant damage within its territory, cross-border shelling and artillery fire have resulted in civilian casualties. At least sixteen Indian civilians, including women and children, lost their lives due to Pakistani firing across the LoC. Pakistan, for its part, reported civilian deaths and injuries from India’s earlier strikes.

The Indian government and armed forces have reiterated their commitment to non-escalation, provided Pakistan refrains from further aggression. Senior officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, have described the ongoing operations as a determined effort to end cross-border terrorism, while also stressing the need for restraint and proportionality in military responses.

As of the latest updates, the situation remains tense, with continued shelling in border sectors and a state of high alert across Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Blackouts and communication disruptions persist in several areas, and evacuation efforts are ongoing. Both nations’ militaries remain on heightened alert, and further developments are expected as the crisis unfolds.

The interception of Pakistani missiles and drones over Jammu-accompanied by enforced blackouts and widespread shelling-marks a grave escalation in India-Pakistan hostilities, rooted in recent terror attacks and subsequent military reprisals. The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides retreating their readiness to respond while expressing, at least officially, a desire to avoid further escalation.

Agencies