Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 5 (HBTV): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded the Indian armed forces and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the targeted and decisive strikes carried out under Operation Sindoor, in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. The operation led to the destruction of nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
‘I express my heartfelt appreciation and congratulate the Chiefs of the three forces as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the precision strikes carried out in Pakistan last night. Operation Sindoor reflects the true sentiment of PM Narendra Modi and our security forces towards our sisters who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam terror attack. Those who dared to kill the husbands of our sisters and mothers have now lost their entire family in the missile strikes,’ said CM Yogi Adityanath.
CM Yogi also reviewed a blackout mock drill at the Reserve Police Lines in Lucknow, as part of a nationwide civil defence exercise ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, full-scale civil defence mock drills were conducted across India on Wednesday. The MHA had instructed all states and union territories to carry out the drills to evaluate preparedness against ‘new and complex threats.’
Major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Gwalior, and Jaipur conducted these exercises, which focused on local response mechanisms to security challenges. The drills included simulations of blackouts, air raid sirens, evacuation protocols, and public training sessions aimed at preparing for war-like emergencies.
In the run-up to the drills, the civil defence department held meetings to brief staff on measures to protect civilians during potential air attacks. Guidelines were issued on crowd control, blackout implementation, camouflaging vital installations, and evacuation rehearsals.
Addressing the media on Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Indian intelligence agencies had been closely monitoring terrorist activity and raised alarms about further threats. Video footage of the precision strikes was presented during the briefing.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the armed forces for their strategic execution during the operation, stating that they acted with ‘precision, alertness and sensitivity’ to avoid civilian casualties. Speaking at an event to inaugurate 50 Border Roads Organisation projects across six states and two union territories, he expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for his unwavering support to the armed forces.
India’s strikes followed the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 Indian tourists. The Defence Minister said the armed forces had scripted a new history through their bravery and effectiveness.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh confirmed that nine terror camps were precisely targeted and destroyed. She noted that care was taken to ensure no civilian infrastructure or life was affected.
‘Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed. The locations were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructures and loss of any civilian lives,’ she said.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi also showcased videos of the targeted strikes during the briefing.
Meanwhile, defence sources reported that 15 civilians were killed and 43 injured in artillery fire by the Pakistan Army, which struck civilian areas in Poonch and Tangdhar on Tuesday night. Several homes were damaged, and panic spread among the villagers. Following Operation Sindoor, ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army reportedly continued on Wednesday, further targeting civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir.
(ANI)