India to hold security drills in 4 states bordering Pakistan tomorrow, days after Operation Sindoor

India will conduct large-scale civil defence drills in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir tomorrow, simulating air raids and evacuations amid rising tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Image Credit: @Viral

Days after Operation Sindoor strikes against terror camps across the border, India will conduct full-scale civil defence drills across four states bordering Pakistan, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, on Thursday evening. 

In Rajasthan, Tina Dabi, District Collector of Barmer, confirmed that the mock drill will be conducted in districts bordering Pakistan on Thursday.

Operation Sindoor was launched on the intervening night of May 7 and May 8 in coordination of all three military forces following Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead, most of them tourists.

India launched the operation in direct response to the April 22 terror attack. The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was identified as the prime suspect behind the attack, with supporting roles traced to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen, and other terror affiliates.

The Indian retaliation was sharp and sustained. Over four days, Indian forces carried out precision missile strikes, drone sorties, and artillery operations across the Line of Control (LoC), targeting key training camps, supply routes, and launch pads operated by terror groups in Pakistan-occupied territory.

The military offensive ended on the evening of May 10, when India and Pakistan reached a mutual agreement to suspend all military activities across land, air, and sea.

These coordinated mock drills are aimed at assessing public preparedness and civil defence readiness in case of a hostile attack. The drills will simulate wartime scenarios, including the sounding of air raid sirens, crash blackouts, evacuation protocols, and public safety responses. Residents in the border districts are advised to remain calm but alert during the exercises.

This new round of security drills follows Operation Abhyas, a nationwide civil defence exercise held on May 7— just hours before India launched Operation Sindoor.

India activated its first nationwide civil defence drill since the 1971 war with Pakistan in the backdrop of escalations. On May 7, just hours before Operation Sindoor began, the Ministry of Home Affairs led Operation Abhyas, a massive civil defence mock drill held in 250 locations across 33 states and union territories.

During Operation Abhyas, air raid sirens were sounded across multiple regions, while civilians and students were trained in emergency response measures. The drill focused on teaching people how to safeguard themselves and assist others during potential attacks.

The MHA’s directive, issued, mandated several measures:

• Activation of air raid warning systems
• Camouflaging of vital infrastructure
• Training schoolchildren and civilians in basic self-protection
• Testing of evacuation and blackout readiness protocols

During the exercise, air raid sirens were sounded, and students and civilians were trained on how to respond during hostile attacks, including evacuation and blackout drills.

The ongoing threat of cross-border air raids from Pakistan also prompted precautionary shutdowns of 32 airports across northern and northwestern India, although none of the incursions were successful.

States sharing borders with Pakistan took immediate security measures. In Punjab, which borders Pakistan over 532 kilometres, the government placed all border districts on high alert, cancelled public events, and closed schools in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran.

In Rajasthan, which has a 1,037-kilometre border with Pakistan, all government and private schools in border areas were also ordered shut as a safety precaution.