Multiple blasts heard in Lahore, sirens, cloud of smoke send residents into panic mode: Reports

A loud explosion was heard near the military airport on Walton Road in Lahore on Thursday amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. There were also reports that multiple blasts had occurred in areas near the Walton Road in Lahore. The road leads to Lahore Cantonment. Media reports said that the Pakistani police officials confirmed the blast, stating they are in the process of determining the exact nature and location of the explosion.

The blasts sent residents into panic mode. Eyewitnesses described seeing clouds of smoke in the air as people rushed out of their homes in fear. Sirens were heard in the area shortly after the explosion, adding to the sense of urgency. Reports said that a drone was seen near the Walton Airport.

Two loud blasts were also heard near Askari 5 in Lahore, with smoke rising from Naval College, unconfirmed reports said. Earlier in the morning, Pakistan closed several key air routes in Lahore and Sialkot for commercial flights till noon. According to a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued, the Lahore and Sialkot air routes would remain closed till Thursday noon.

More details are awaited.

This follows the precision strikes by Indian armed forces under Operation Sindoor, destroying nine key terror hubs of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The precision strikes were launched in the early hours of Wednesday and lasted just 25 minutes. Between 1.05 a.m. and 1.30 a.m., 24 missiles were deployed to strike nine terrorist facilities, including Lashkar-e-Toiba's headquarters in Muridke and major terror training sites in Bahawalpur -- long considered breeding grounds for extremist operations.

"Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in the selection of targets and method of execution," the government said in a statement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS)