India-Pakistan latest: Delhi claims Islamabad using civilian planes as shield as countries trade drone strikes

Blasts have rung out throughout Indian Kashmir and the Sikh holy metropolis of Amritsar in neighbouring Punjab state.

The Indian army mentioned it was taking pictures down drones within the worst combating with Pakistan in practically three a long time.

The explosions in Amritsar have been the primary heard within the three-day-old battle.

Projectiles and flashes have been seen within the night time sky above the Indian Kashmir metropolis of Jammu that was plunged right into a blackout.

In Lahore, Pakistan, faculties have been closed on Friday, and shopkeepers mentioned Lahoris have been stocking up on meals, gasoline cylinders for cooking and medication, prompting authorities to warn companies to not artificially enhance costs.

“I’ve stocked grocery for a month: we acquired meat, flour, tea, oil, lentils and so on and likewise drew further money from financial institution,” mentioned Aroosha Rameez, 34, a Lahore resident.

Muhammad Asif, 35, mentioned his pharmacy had had an inflow of consumers.

“Folks in Lahore have began stocking medicines as nicely, which can result in shortages of paracetamol, anti-allergies, antibiotics, blood strain and diabetes medicines,” he mentioned.

Meals supply app FoodPanda, in style in Pakistan, mentioned grocery orders nationwide had surged.

The Indian military says Pakistan fired about 300-400 drones in a single day in violation of Indian airspace to focus on army installations in practically three dozen websites alongside the western borders.

India introduced down quite a few the drones utilizing “kinetic and non-kinetic means”, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian air pressure advised a information convention.

Residents throughout Pakistan and India rushed to stockpile meals and different important provides, whereas households residing close to the border fled to safer areas.

Armed clashes between the nuclear-armed nations have been escalating, within the worst combating between the 2 nations in practically three a long time.

Within the Indian state of Punjab, Amanpreet Dhillon, 26, mentioned many households in his village simply 13 km (8 miles) from the border with Pakistan had despatched ladies and kids to safer areas.

In Indian-administered Kashmir’s Uri district, residents mentioned many fled in a single day after homes have been struck by shelling, some taking shelter behind rocks or in bunkers.

“Now we have by no means seen such intense shelling in our life. Nearly all of the folks fled the city and different villages as quickly as shelling began final night time,” mentioned Bashir Ahmad, 45, within the city of Baramulla in Uri. “It was a nightmare for us.”

A string of explosions have been heard in Jammu metropolis in Indian Kashmir, and projectiles have been seen within the sky.

Pakistan has dismissed Indian accusations of Pakistani assaults as “baseless and deceptive” and mentioned Pakistan had not carried out any “offensive actions”.

India’s Border Safety Power mentioned a “main infiltration bid” was foiled in Kashmir’s Samba area on Thursday night time.

“A number of homes caught fireplace and have been broken within the shelling within the Uri sector … One girl was killed and three folks have been injured in in a single day shelling,” an official mentioned.

In Pakistani Kashmir, officers mentioned heavy shelling from throughout the border killed 5 civilians, together with an toddler, and wounded 29 others within the early hours of Friday.

India’s defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The combating is the deadliest since a restricted battle between the 2 nations in Kashmir’s Kargil area in 1999.

The Pakistani air pressure says greater than 100 planes of each Pakistan and India took half in a one-hour air battle on Wednesday.

Officers mentioned Pakistan used China’s PL-15 missile, and 5 Indian planes have been shot down.

Indian and Pakistani troopers exchanged heavy volleys of shells and gunfire in Kashmir in a single day, killing a minimum of 5 civilians.

In Pakistan, an unusually intense night time of artillery exchanges left a minimum of 4 civilians lifeless and wounded 12 others close to the Line of Management that divides Kashmir, police official Adeel Ahmad mentioned.

Folks in border cities mentioned the firing continued nicely into Friday morning.

Indian army officers mentioned Pakistani troops barraged their posts in a single day with artillery, mortars and gunfire at quite a few places in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

They mentioned Indian troopers responded, triggering fierce exchanges.

Two folks have been killed and 4 others injured, police mentioned, taking the civilian loss of life toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir to 18 since Wednesday.

Pakistan mentioned Indian mortar and artillery fireplace had killed 17 civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the identical interval.

Indian authorities have advised tens of 1000’s of civilians to go away their villages close to the frontier. Hundreds of individuals slept in shelters for a second night time.

Pakistan didn’t shut its airspace on Thursday and allowed civilian plane to function, whereas it launched Turkish-made drones at Indian cities, the Indian authorities says.

Pakistan used the civilian plane flying in its airspace as shields, officers mentioned.

Even on Friday night, some civilian flights have been noticed on flight-tracking web sites in Pakistani airspace, whereas the Indian aspect confirmed no flights, they claimed.