India Executes Nation-Wide Civil Defence Drills Amid Retaliatory Strikes on Terror Camps

Panaji witnessed a comprehensive civil defence mock drill on Wednesday evening, part of a nationwide exercise mandated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Such drills sought to heighten public awareness, explained a senior official, aiming to prepare communities for potential security threats.

The Collector of North Goa, following MHA directives, initiated the drill, concentrating on three significant locations. Given Goa's extensive coastline, Deputy Collector Vinayak Chari emphasized the elevated threat levels, making the drills indispensable for public preparedness. This initiative spanned across major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Gwalior, and Jaipur to assess and enhance local response capabilities.

Additionally, blackout drills were executed in various states, emphasizing the country's readiness to face emergencies. Critical sites, from Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi to Raj Bhavan in Patna, observed scheduled power cuts to evaluate preparedness. Cities including Barmer, Gwalior, Surat, Shimla, and Patna participated as India undertook Operation Sindoor against terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

The Indian Armed Forces' operation succeeded in targeting and neutralizing nine terror camps, retaliating for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. In a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, alongside Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, revealed the operation's outcomes, highlighting its precision in avoiding civilian casualties while seeking justice for the Pahalgam victims.

Operation Sindoor specifically demolished terror bases in locations such as Muridke and Sialkot, where perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks were trained. Foreign Secretary Misri underscored that the Pahalgam attack aimed to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir's return to normalcy. India's military response marked the deepest strikes into Pakistan's territory since 1971, reinforcing its stance against terrorism.

(With inputs from agencies.)