Ceasefire violated as drone attacks resume in Raj border

Jaisalmer/Jodhpur/Jaipur: In a dramatic turn of events, the brief ceasefire between India and Pakistan was shattered Saturday night as heavy drone activity resumed along the border regions of Rajasthan. By 8pm, drones were reported entering Indian airspace over Pokhran in Jaisalmer and parts of Barmer district. Border districts including Barmer, Jaisalmer, Sriganganagar and Bikaner, along with neighbouring Jodhpur and Phalodi, were quickly placed under red alert and blackout enforced in all the six districts.

Barmer Collector Tina Dabi confirmed that after initially lifting restrictions following the ceasefire, authorities were forced to reimpose emergency measures. "All restrictions were lifted and markets were allowed to open. Later in the evening, defence personnel informed about drone movements in Barmer from the Pakistan border. So, a red air alert was reissued and a blackout was declared in Barmer from 8pm to 6am," Dabi told TOI.

Danger sirens were sounded and residents reported multiple drone sightings, with some reportedly being shot down by security forces.

In Jaisalmer, similar scenes unfolded as heavy drone activity was observed, particularly in the Pokhran area, where explosions were heard as security forces engaged the incoming drones. Collector Pratap Singh said, "Although the blackout time was initially set from 11pm Saturday to 4am Sunday, it was changed to 8:30pm-6am due to the evolving situation," the Jaisalmer collector said."

Sriganganagar SP Gaurav Yadav said that given the ‘changed circumstances', the blackout in the district remains in effect during the night, with instructions issued for everyone to stay alert and indoors. Bikaner reimposed blackout around 9.15pm Saturday, barely 30 minutes after withdrawing the earlier restrictions. The district's Nal area, home to a key air force station, remained under strict watch. Train services between Bikaner and Jaisalmer were suspended. Police patrolled streets, requesting people to remain indoors. Shopkeepers voluntarily closed their businesses under the guidance of police and municipal teams.

The resumption of hostile activities disrupted transportation services, with the Jodhpur Rail Division suspending previously announced train service restorations. Markets that had briefly reopened during the ceasefire were forced to close again and residents were instructed to remain indoors.

"We heard reports of a ceasefire in the evening and were happy to be able to move around freely. However, it lasted barely a couple of hours before police vehicles started cautioning us to stay indoors again," said Ramesh Purohit, a shopkeeper in Sriganganagar, reflecting the frustration of local residents.