Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Bilaspur district administration in Himachal Pradesh has issued an urgent advisory aimed at prioritising public safety and security of citizens, calling for a complete night-time blackout across the district.
The directive, issued by District Magistrate Rahul Kumar on Friday, advises all residents to switch off indoor and outdoor lights during nighttime hours to reduce visibility and risk in the event of a potential aerial strike. The advisory comes in light of Bilaspur’s proximity to Punjab, a border state currently on high alert due to escalated cross-border hostilities. Vehicular movement should be halted at night to facilitate the smooth functioning of security forces in case of any emergency, the advisory said.
“This advisory has been issued in public interest. The administration requests strict compliance from all residents. Restraint and vigilance are the strongest shields in such situations,” the notice stated.
Meanwhile, in a related precautionary move, all educational institutions in neighbouring Una district were ordered to remain closed on Friday, following a notification issued late Thursday night.
The developments came after India on Thursday night thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles, including in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, after foiling its attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the attacks were part of a wider attempt to hit 15 Indian cities, including major urban and defence hubs such as Amritsar, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, and Bhuj.
The escalation follows India’s precision missile strikes a day earlier under Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
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