In a late-night development, sirens were heard in Amritsar and Samba on May 12 at 8:45 PM, prompting district authorities to initiate emergency blackout protocols. The Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar posted a public alert on social media, urging residents to turn off their lights and move away from windows, citing “abundant caution.”
“We are on alert and initiating the blackout. Please switch off your lights and move away from your windows. Stay calm… Don’t panic at all,” the statement read.
8.45 PM 12th May
You will hear a siren. We are on alert and initiating the blackout. Please switch off your lights and move away from your windows. Stay calm, we will inform when ready to restore the power supply. Don't panic at all. This is by way of abundant caution.
— Deputy Commissioner Amritsar (@dc_amritsar) May 12, 2025
The alerts come in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following India’s Operation Sindoor, a large-scale counter-terror military operation launched in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a powerful address to the nation, said:
“Buri tarah pitne ke baad Pakistan sena ne DGMO ko sampark kiya,” implying that Pakistan was forced to contact Indian authorities for a ceasefire after suffering heavy losses in military retaliation.
He lauded the Indian armed forces, saying their interception of Pakistani drones and missiles mid-air showed India’s defence strength and resolve. Modi emphasized that India’s battle was not against the Pakistani military but against terror infrastructure.
As precautionary blackouts are carried out in border regions like Amritsar and Samba, military and intelligence agencies remain on high alert, monitoring any retaliatory moves from across the border.
