Lahore: After reports of “drone explosions, downed drones, and possible airspace incursions,” the US has asked its citizens to leave Lahore or “shelter-in-place.” The US Consulate in a statement also advised its citizens to have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance, carry up-to-date and easily accessible travel documents, monitor local media for updates, carry proper identification, and cooperate with authorities.
“Due to reports of drone explosions, downed drones, and possible airspace incursions in and near Lahore, the US Consulate General in Lahore has directed all consulate personnel to shelter-in-place,” the statement said.
Further, the Consulate has also received initial reports that authorities may be evacuating some areas adjacent to Lahore’s main airport, it said. “US citizens who find themselves in an area of active conflict should leave if they can do so safely. If it is not safe to leave, they should shelter-in-place,” the statement said.
“The US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan will send updates as needed through our messaging system. Please ensure that you are enrolled in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP),” it added.
Meanwhile, the Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised by Indian military drone action. The Harpy drones designed to attack radar systems were used by the Indian armed forces to target enemy air defence systems in Lahore, after Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets on the night of May 7.
India on May 7 executed Operation Sindoor, in which nine terror sites deep inside Pakistan were destroyed in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocents were killed.
The military targets were engaged in Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles.
These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks.
Indian Air Force S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems were fired last night against targets moving towards India. The targets were successfully neutralised in the operation, multiple domain experts told ANI. An official Government confirmation is awaited.
Earlier, sources said that over 100 terrorists were eliminated with a series of precision strikes launched in the early hours of Wednesday. The operation, aimed at avenging the Pahalgam terror attack, remains underway, making it challenging to provide an exact casualty count of the terrorists at this stage, sources further stated.
The strikes, executed by the Indian Armed Forces, targeted nine key terror camps in Pakistan linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen. Four of the targets were located inside Pakistan and the remaining five were situated in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
The security forces targeted four terrorist camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya. The five other locations in PoJK on India’s target were Markaz Ahle Hadith Barnala in Bhimber, Markaz Abbas and Maskar Raheel Shahid in Kotli, Shawai Nallah Camp, and Markaz Syedna Bilal in Muzaffarabad.
Pakistan has also increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy calibre artillery in areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir. Sixteen innocent lives have been lost, including three women and five children, due to Pakistani firing. (With inputs from ANI)
