Pathankot Faces Second Night of Drone Attacks as India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate

Pathankot, a key military hub in Punjab, came under drone attack for the second consecutive night on Friday, as Pakistani drones swarmed the area, triggering intense counter-fire from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force air defence units.

The attack began around 8:45 pm and continued for nearly half an hour, with multiple loud explosions heard across the city. Anti-aircraft gunfire lit up the night sky as forces engaged the drones. The district administration had imposed a citywide blackout at 7 pm, leaving roads nearly deserted.

Simultaneously, the Army confirmed similar drone activity in Samba and Jammu, further intensifying tensions along the northern border.

As the sound of explosions grew louder, the streets emptied. Vehicles moved cautiously with headlights off, while some residents gathered on rooftops to witness the firefight overhead. By late evening, the firing subsided, and an uneasy calm returned as people braced for another long, uncertain night.

Pathankot, home to a crucial forward air base of the Indian Air Force, had already experienced a drone offensive on Thursday night, with residents reporting attacks continuing until dawn on Friday.

Despite the tension, locals maintained a resilient spirit. Business establishments downed shutters by 7 pm, and streets cleared out soon after. “Take your order and scoot,” quipped Kewal, a dhaba owner near the Air Force Station, warning customers to leave early. “The last drone came at 4 am today. Pakistan’s bragging this is just a trailer — well, we’re ready for the full picture,” he added.

Police patrols tightened their grip over the town, dotted with military establishments and walls painted with patriotic slogans. Checkpoints sprang up at night, and police jeeps moved through the streets. Assistant Sub-Inspector Jasvir Dass, on patrol duty, said, “Better to be cautious after last night. No room for laxity when we know what Pakistan is planning. Shops stayed open too long yesterday — today, everything’s shut by 7 pm.”

In several neighbourhoods, groups of young men scanned the skies with phone cameras, mistaking stars for drones. “There’s one,” claimed a bystander, only to be corrected by another, saying it was a star.

The blackout was almost total. Many hotels turned out guests and stopped taking new bookings. “It’s a precaution. Any casualty on our premises becomes our responsibility,” explained a hotel manager.

Meanwhile, civilians caught in the unrest shared their frustration. Makan Singh, a farmer from nearby Dhariwal, lamented being unable to sell his produce due to the shutdown. “It takes years to build relations and just a moment to break them,” he reflected on the rising conflict. Bhajan Lal, a truck driver from Panipat, stranded in Pathankot since Thursday, summed it up grimly: “Mahaul kharaab hota ja raha hai (the situation is getting worse).”

As the region remains on high alert, residents and security forces brace for what may come next.