In response to heightened security threats following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India's Ministry of Home Affairs will conduct a nationwide civil defence mock drill across 244 districts on May 7. The initiative aims to bolster emergency preparedness and strengthen public safety mechanisms.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan will hold a video conference on Tuesday with chief secretaries and heads of civil defence departments from across the country to review preparations. According to an official communication from the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, the mock drills will include air-raid siren tests, bunker and trench restoration, and civilian training for hostile attack scenarios.
Other key components of the exercise will involve implementing crash-blackout procedures, camouflaging critical infrastructure, updating evacuation protocols, and testing communication channels with the Indian Air Force via hotlines and radio systems. Operational readiness of both primary and shadow control rooms will also be evaluated.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani forces have violated the ceasefire for the 12th consecutive night, engaging in unprovoked firing across multiple sectors. The Indian Army has responded with a measured but strong counteraction.
“During the night of May 5-6, Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked small-arms fire along the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor,” said a defence spokesperson based in Jammu.
In a parallel development, the Jammu and Kashmir Police carried out a significant reshuffle in Anantnag district on Monday. Six officers, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Pahalgam, were transferred as part of intensified security measures following last month's attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Inspector Reyaz Ahmad has been moved to DPL Anantnag, with Peer Gulzar Ahmad taking over as the new Pahalgam SHO.
On May 1, Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sadanand Date, visited the attack site in Baisaran, Pahalgam, along with senior officials from the NIA and J&K Police. The visit followed the NIA's formal takeover of the case on April 27, after the Ministry of Home Affairs' Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation Division issued an order in light of the gravity of the incident.
The terror attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, is considered the deadliest civilian assault in the region in nearly two decades. The NIA registered a fresh FIR and has launched a comprehensive investigation to collect forensic evidence and identify those responsible.
According to official sources, the NIA is now leading the probe in coordination with local police and is expected to conduct an in-depth assessment of the site and gather critical intelligence to track the perpetrators. (Source: TOI)
