Loud Explosion Reported in Lahore a Day After India’s Operation Sindoor

A loud explosion was heard in Lahore, Pakistan, on Thursday morning, according to local broadcaster Geo TV and a Reuters eyewitness. The blast comes just a day after India conducted strikes targeting nine terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The cause of the explosion remains unknown.

Local media reported that sirens blared across parts of Lahore following the blast, prompting residents to rush out of their homes in panic. The explosion was reportedly heard in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad areas, near Walton Airport.

In a related development, flight operations at Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot airports were temporarily suspended. Authorities have not confirmed whether the suspension was directly linked to the explosion in Lahore.

Operation Sindoor

On Wednesday, Indian armed forces launched a large-scale operation against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’, the strike was carried out in retaliation for last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which left 26 people dead — most of them Hindus.

In a statement, India described the action as a “precise and restrained response” against terror camps, emphasizing that no civilian, economic, or military infrastructure was targeted. The Ministry of External Affairs maintained the operation was designed to avoid escalation.

The strike follows the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where gunmen opened fire in a civilian area, killing 26 people, including several men in front of their families. India accused Pakistan-based terror groups of orchestrating the attack, a claim Islamabad has denied.

The heightened tensions between the two nations have already unsettled financial markets, with non-deliverable forwards on the Indian rupee indicating sharp weakness. Pakistan, in a precautionary step, closed its airspace after the Indian strikes, according to Pakistan International Airlines Corp.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Indian operation, calling it a “cowardly attack” and vowing a strong response. “The enemy won’t be allowed to achieve its goals,” he said.