Operation Sindoor: Some airports shut, schools in border districts closed; 5 things you need to know

Indian armed forces in the early hours of Wednesday launched missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, triggering heightened security measures across north India and parts of the western border.

The strikes, carried out under Operation Sindoor, targeted infrastructure belonging to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Defence Ministry said in a statement issued at 1.44 am.

The operation, described as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, included strikes on JeM's headquarters in Bahawalpur and LeT's base in Muridke, both located in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

“A little while ago, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” the ministry said.

Officials clarified that no Pakistani military installations were targeted and the selection of sites was carried out with “considerable restraint”.

The action comes two weeks after the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam that killed 25 Indians and one Nepali national, an attack that drew widespread condemnation.

“We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable,” the ministry said.

Markets react

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty witnessed high volatility in early trade on Wednesday after India launched missile strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The Sensex swung between an intra-day high of 80,844.63 and low of 79,937.48, while the Nifty moved between 24,449.60 and 24,220.

Across the border, Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index dropped more than 2% to 111,001 points.

Heightened security

As tensions rose, security was tightened in several states, with Uttar Pradesh declaring a Red Alert.

"All field units of @Uppolice have been instructed to coordinate with the defence forces and strengthen the security of important installations," UP DGP Prashant Kumar said in a post on X.

Flights disrupted

The ripple effects of the military action were also felt in the aviation sector, with operations at several northern airports either suspended or curtailed. Indian airlines cancelled numerous flights, particularly to and from sensitive zones.

At least 35 flights to and from the Delhi airport have been cancelled by various airlines, including foreign carriers, reported PTI.

As many as 23 domestic departures and eight arrivals were cancelled. Besides, four international departures have been cancelled since 12 am.

Air India cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot till early morning of May 10. SpiceJet said airports in Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar remained shut “until further notice”, while IndiGo announced cancellation of flights to and from eight cities, including Srinagar, Chandigarh and Bikaner.

“Due to the prevailing situation in the region, Srinagar airport has been closed for civil operations,” Akasa Air said.

Schools in border areas shut

All educational institutions in five border districts of the Jammu will remain closed on Wednesday in the wake of tension along the border with Pakistan.

"In view of the prevailing situation, all schools, colleges and educational institutions in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch will remain closed today," Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said on X.

All schools in border districts of Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar and Gurdaspur were also closed.

The Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner issued an order that all schools in the district will remain closed on Wednesday, officials said, adding that all schools in Pathankot will also remain shut for the next 72 hours.

Officials said schools have also been shut in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Fazilka districts.

In Rajasthan, a state sharing a 1,070-km border with Pakistan, schools in four border districts, Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer, were shut as a precaution. Mock drills were scheduled to be conducted on Wednesday.

“Schools have been closed and all preparations for the mock drills have been completed,” a state official said.

Mock drill

Meanwhile, several states will conduct mock drills on May 7 amid rising tensions with Pakistan.

The measures to be taken during the drill include operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack".

The other measures are provisions of crash blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updation of evacuation plans and their rehearsal.