Operation Sindoor Highlights: Sirens Wail as Delhi Holds Mega Mock Drills at 55 Locations

Following India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack through Operation Sindoor and the resulting escalation in India–Pakistan tensions, aviation travel across northern India is expected to face significant disruptions on Wednesday.

Air India has cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot until 12 noon on Wednesday, citing the rapid increase in tensions following India’s precision military strikes under Operation Sindoor. Similarly, SpiceJet and IndiGo have also cancelled flights.

Four targets of Jaish-e-Mohammed, 3 of Lashkar-e-Taiba, 2 of Hizbul Mujahideen terror groups hit in intelligence-based IAF strikes, said sources as quoted by PTI.

Three civilians were killed in indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pakistan military across the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir last night, defence sources said on Wednesday.

The Indian Army is responding to the firing in a proportionate manner, they said.

During the intervening night of May 6 and 7, Pakistan Army resorted to arbitrary firing, including artillery shelling, from posts across the LoC and IB opposite Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.

Three innocent civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing and shelling, they said.

The Ministry of Defence will hold a press briefing on Operation Sindoor at 10:00 am on Wednesday, where more details about the operation are expected to be revealed.

 All educational institutions in five border districts of the Jammu will remain closed on Wednesday in the wake of prevailing situation in the region, officials said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks to Army, Air Force and Navy chiefs following Operation Sindoor

A mock drill rehearsal is underway in Varanasi's Police Lines following MHA's order for nationwide mock drills to be held today.

Pakistan shot down three Rafale Planes, including one SU-30 and one MIG-29 flown by India on Wednesday, according to Reuters report.

The Pakistani military reported on Wednesday that the death toll from Indian airstrikes has risen to eight, according to media reports.

More information on the terrorist hotbed targeted by the Indian armed forces- 1. Markaz Subhan Allah, Jaish-e-Mohammad Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan- This Markaz serves as the operational headquarter of JeM and associated with terrorist plannings including Pulwama attack on Feb 14, 2019. Perpetrators of Pulwama attack were trained at this camp, ANI reported.

Israel backs India’s right to self-defense, says Ambassador Reuven Azar, adding that terrorists must realize there's no safe haven from their heinous crimes against innocents.

"All the examinations scheduled for today i.e, 07.05.2025 stand postponed.Fresh date for the conduct of postponed papers shall be notified separately," the Kashmir University order read as quoted by Mint.

All schools border districts of Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot and Amritsar will remain closed on Wednesday in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan.

The Indian Air Force has closed the airfield at Srinagar Airport, leading to a full suspension of civilian flights for the day. Srinagar Airport Director Javed Anjum confirmed the development, stating, “The airfield is closed, and no civil flights will operate from Srinagar today.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in New Delhi later today, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. During his visit, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Earlier this week, Araghchi visited Islamabad and met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to X to praise India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Pakistan and PoK, following the Pahalgam terror attack.

"Proud of our Armed Forces. Jai Hind!" Rahul Gandhi said in social media post.

Security in the national capital has been tightened with additional police personnel and paramilitary forces deployed at key locations following 'Operation Sindoor', an official told PTI.

"We have deployed more security personnel at key locations. Delhi Police is fully alert and no one will be allowed to breach law and order. Teams are keeping strict vigil on vital locations and monitoring social media platforms," the officer said.

Benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, took a volatile tone after falling in red during the pre-market opening session. D-street analysts caution investors as they take a wait-and-watch stance.

"What stands out in 'Operation Sindoor' from the market perspective is its focused and non-escalatory nature. We have to wait and watch how the enemy reacts to this precision strikes by India. The market is unlikely to be impacted by the retaliatory strike by India since that was known and discounted by the market," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments.

The main catalyst of the market resilience in India is the sustained FII buying of the last 14 trading days which has touched a cumulative figure of Rs 43,940 crores in the cash market, he said, "FIIs are focused on the global macros like weak dollar, slower growth in US and China in 2025 and India’s potential outperformance in growth. This can keep the market resilient. However, investors have to watch the developments in the border."

Amid escalating border tensions, investor focus shifts toward defence sector stocks. Paras Defence jumps over 2%, while BEL and Hindustan Aeronautics see modest gains.

The government of India is set to begin the press briefing on the Operation Sindoor shortly. Previously, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that a press briefing on Operation Sindoor will be held on Wednesday at 10:00 AM. Further details regarding the operation are expected to be shared during the briefing.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Col. Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh to address the media on Operation Sindoor shortly. Further details regarding the operation are expected to be shared during the briefing.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday held a press meeting to assess the security and preparedness along the border/LoC areas. 

“Emphasis laid on safeguarding civilian lives, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring swift response to any emerging challenges,” said Omar Abdullah.

Earlier on Tuesday, he had said the ongoing crackdown to trace the attackers of the Pahalgam incident should not come across as “a crackdown on people of Kashmir”.

“Emphasis laid on safeguarding civilian lives, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring swift response to any emerging challenges,” said J&K CM Omar Abdullah.

“Our intelligence identified those involved and the planners...India exercised its right to respond and to dismantle terror infrastructure,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in a briefing post Operation Sindoor. 

Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh has declared a ‘red alert’ in the state following Operation Sindoor. 

“Red Alert has been declared in Uttar Pradesh following #OperationSindoor – the Indian Army’s targeted strike on terror hideouts,” said UP DGP on Wednesday. 

"China finds India's military operation early this morning regrettable. We are concerned about the ongoing situation. We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation," said China's foreign minister spokesperson.

The attack was based on credible intel inputs. Camps targeted had weapons and they were training facilities for terrorists: Col. Qureshi in the press briefing.

"I held a video conference with district collectors of the places near the border and LoC...I have taken stock of the situation. I have received news of some losses from some places, but we are currently collecting the reports...I have released funds to district collectors to deal with any kind of contingency...if we have to evacuate civilians, vehicles and ambulances have been arranged for it," said J&K CM Omar Abdullah.

"None of us want war...we want the situation to improve again, but first our neighbouring country (Pakistan) needs to put their guns down," said J-K CM.

A senior official in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Poonch district told the BBC that cross-border shelling has left at least seven dead and around 32 injured. Poonch is located near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between India and Pakistan.

Indian airstrikes and cross-border firing along the Line of Control have left 26 people dead and 46 others injured, says Pakistan military as quoted by BBC.

India on Wednesday executed a swift and precise military response, Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror-linked camps in Pakistan. This operation was a retaliation for a terrorist attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.

Central to this coordinated tri-service strike were the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Rafale fighter jets, which reportedly efficiently carried out the 23-minute mission. The IAF deployed Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP cruise missiles and HAMMER precision-guided munitions, striking high-value terror infrastructure without crossing into enemy airspace, striking targets associated with terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

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During a recent briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India's strikes were a strong response to Pakistan's "barbaric and deadly" Pahalgam terror attack.

"On 22 April 2025, terrorists related to LeT and Pakistan attacked tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam and killed 25 Indian nationals and 1 Nepali citizen. They shot tourists in the head in front of their family members. The family were threatened and told to convey the message of that barbarism. Since tourism was again flourishing in J&K, and hence the main aim of the attack was to damage that," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

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Mumbai airport receives call threatening to blow up IndiGo plane, sources told India Today. The bomb threat call came in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor launched by Indian Army on Pakistani terror bases.

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the parent firm of IndiGo Airlines, saw its shares drop over 2.39% to Rs 5,196 after multiple Indian airlines suspended flights to and from regions including Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Gujarat. The cancellations came in the aftermath of Indian armed forces conducting early Wednesday strikes on nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammed’s stronghold in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s headquarters in Muridke.

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Pakistan's foreign ministry said that the Indian Chargé d’Affaires was summoned "to receive Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked Indian strikes at multiple locations across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir", Reuters reported.

"It was conveyed that India’s blatant act of aggression constitutes a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Such actions are in contravention of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms governing inter-state relations. Pakistan firmly rejected India’s baseless justifications for its hostile conduct," it said in a statement.

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar says 10 members of his family and four close associates killed in Indian missile attack in Bahawalpur, PTI reported.

Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index plunged nearly 6% at the opening bell on May 7, as investor sentiment sank amid fears of escalating geopolitical tensions following India’s launch of ‘Operation Sindoor,’ which targeted multiple sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, currently scheduled to go on till May 25, will continue normally, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source told ANI on Wednesday.

More than 200 flights have been cancelled and at least 18 airports, including Srinagar, have been temporarily shut for operations amid restrictions in the wake of the armed forces launching missile attacks against Pakistan on Wednesday morning.

Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and a few foreign airlines cancelled their services to and from various airports.

Pakistan is ready to "wrap up" tensions with India, if New Delhi de-escalates the situation, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.

His remarks came hours after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Asif was reported as saying by Bloomberg Television that Pakistan will only respond if attacked.

"We have been saying all along in the last fortnight that we’ll never initiate anything hostile towards India. But if we're attacked, we'll respond. If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up this tension," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the Union cabinet meeting.

Qatar follows with deep concern the continuing escalation between India and Pakistan and calls for resolving the crisis through diplomatic means: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar.

Civil Defence teams will carry out mock drills in 244 districts across India on 7 May 2025, aimed at boosting emergency preparedness in light of heightened India–Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Rashtrapati Bhawan to brief President Droupadi Murmu on Operation Sindoor.

The UK on Wednesday said that it stands ready to support both India and Pakistan to move towards dialogue and de-escalation, after Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in the neighbouring country under Operation Sindoor.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "hugely worrying" and told the BBC that his Cabinet colleague, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, had “reached out” to both countries.

According to the Indian Army, Abbas Terrorist Camp at Kotli was the nerve centre for training suicide bombers of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and it had key training infrastructure for over 50 terrorists.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds a meeting with Chief Ministers, DGPs and Chief Secretaries of border states CMs of J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal and the LG of Ladakh and the LG of Jammu and Kashmir participated in the meeting.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah holds emergency meeting with officials over the current situation in border areas.

Security in the national capital has been intensified with additional police personnel and paramilitary forces deployed at key locations following 'Operation Sindoor', an official said.

A senior police officer said that the national capital was already on high alert and multiple agencies will carry out mock security drills at 4 pm.

Civil defence mock drill being carried out at a school in West Bengal's Siliguri.

Pakistan’s high-level security huddle on Wednesday discussed the situation arising out of the Indian missile attack.

Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers.

Cross-border tensions are nothing new, but rising hostilities have sparked fresh fears of a deeper and more dangerous conflict. In moments like these, critical questions arise: What would a full-scale war cost both nations? Who would suffer the most? While exact projections are elusive, history offers valuable clues—if not precise answers—about the potential price of escalation.

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Soon after the focused strikes on terrorists and terrorist infrastructure at 9 sites in Pakistan and PoJK on 7 May 2025 as part of Operation Sindoor, NSA Ajit Doval, spoke with NSAs of several countries, including US NSA & Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UK NSA Jonathan Powell, Saudi NSA Musaid Al Aiban, UAE NSA H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon, Secretary General of NSC of UAE Ali Al Shamsi and NSA of Japan Masataka Okano.

Contact was also established with Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu, Member of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee & Minister of Foreign Affairs of PRC Wang Yi and Diplomatic Adviser to French President Emmanuel Bonne.

In response to heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday convened an emergency video conference with Deputy Commissioners from all border districts to assess the evolving situation.

Lt. Col (Retd) and Defence Expert JSS Kakar says, "This attack was not on Pakistan, but on those who wiped off the 'sindoor' of 25 women... No civilian life or property was lost, only terrorists were killed, and their headquarters destroyed... A lesson was taught. But I believe this is a comma, not a full stop and it will last for a long time... This is a 79-year-old problem... More than 50,000 soldiers lost their lives. We killed 350 Lashkar trainees, but they did not learn a lesson... This is a small action. If the government takes full responsibility, this problem will be eradicated from the root... We will ensure that it does not happen again..."

At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and 57 others injured as the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

The intense shelling from across the border started shortly after Indian armed forces carried out missile attacks on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the April 22 terror attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam that had left 26 civilians dead.

A mock drill is being carried out at platforms 7 and 8 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

A mock drill is being carried out at Mumbai's Cross Maidan.

Blaring sirens, residents rushing to safer places, injured people being carried away on stretchers -- these were some of the scenes witnessed across the 55 locations where mock security drills were carried out by authorities in the national capital.

Under the nationwide mega civil defence mock drill 'Operation Abhyaas', mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, multiple fire emergencies, and search and rescue operations among others were carried out.

DC Amritsar, Sakshi Sahni says, "Mock drill will be carried out in two ways. A siren will be heard at 4 pm, which will be for a simulation exercise... This will broadly be a practice drill. The second drill will be carried out at 10:30 pm, wherein another siren will be heard. There will be a blackout at that time. It is requested that everyone keep their lights off at that time... Power will be normally restored shortly after. I have also received information that some people are spreading misinformation and indulging in black marketing. I would like to warn all such people of strict action... The district administration will give you all information and important updates. I urge everyone to not believe in fake news..."

The kin of a Pahalgam terror attack victim from Andhra Pradesh welcomed India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.

Two tourists – JC Chandra Mouli (68) and S Madhusudan (45) – from Andhra Pradesh were shot dead by terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

Blaring sirens, residents rushing to safer places, injured people being carried away on stretchers -- these were some of the scenes witnessed across the 55 locations where mock security drills were carried out by authorities in the national capital.

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UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy states, "Current tensions between India and Pakistan are a serious concern. The UK government is urging India and Pakistan to show restraint and engage in direct dialogue to find a swift, diplomatic path forward... I have made clear to my counterparts in India and Pakistan that if this escalates further, nobody wins. The UK was clear in its condemnation of the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam last month... The safety of British nationals in the region will always be our priority. The FCDO continues to monitor developments closely and stands ready to support any British nationals 24/7. Any British nationals in the region should follow the FCDO’s travel advice for the country they are in, along with the advice of the local authorities."

The Indian Army reported that artillery shelling by Pakistan since Tuesday night has resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians and left 43 others injured. The attacks targeted civilian areas in Poonch and Tangdhar regions of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Civil defence mock drills were conducted in 12 districts of Odisha on Wednesday to assess the preparedness to deal with an emergency amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, officials said.

Among the cities where these drills were held were Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Rourkela, they said.

At the Raj Bhavan Square in Bhubaneswar, sirens were blared for five minutes from 4 pm, marking the beginning of the exercise.

Since the air strikes, nearly 550 commercial flights have been cancelled across India and Pakistan, according to real-time tracking data from Flightradar24. Pakistan has seen the cancellation of 16% of its scheduled flights, amounting to 135, while India has cancelled 3%, totaling 417 flights.