Mock drill conducted under 'Operation Shield', parts of J&K, Punjab witness blackout

India conducts widespread mock drills; crisis simulations in Srinagar, sirens in Punjab, Jaipur

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conducted mock drill, under Operation Shield, in all the district of six border regions - Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh - on Saturday.

Blackout drill was also carried out in the bordering regions between 8pm to 10pm, varying by district.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir | Blackout mock drill carried out in Doda under Operation Shield pic.twitter.com/4XtnRAIWhe
ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025

Operation Shield aims to assess and strengthen India’s preparedness against possible external threats. The exercise will simulate scenarios including enemy air raids, drone and missile strikes, and emergency evacuations. It will also test alert systems and crisis communication protocols.

In Jammu and Kashmir, civil defence mock drill was conducted in Akhnoor, Doda, DC office in Srinagar and other districts.

#WATCH | J&K: Mock drill being conducted at DC office in Srinagar, under 'Operation Shield'. pic.twitter.com/l6zRpj5xWOANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025

Mock drills were also conducted in Punjab's Amritsar on Saturday.

#WATCH | Punjab | Mock drill being conducted in Amritsar, under 'Operation Shield'. pic.twitter.com/tGGcNrSLX3 ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025

Commandant Jaskaran Singh says, "This is to review how all the civil defence departments coordinate with each other... Several districts are at higher risk as they share a border with Pakistan such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Firozpur and Fazilka... Conducting such exercises is to ensure that maximum administration is operational during war-like situation... It teaches how to be safe at home during air strikes and drone attacks, staying at home, how to save oneself during blackouts... This is Operation Shield..."

This is the second phase of the civil defence mock drill, earlier scheduled for May 29 but was postponed citing administrative reasons. The first phase of mock drill was held on May 7, hours before India targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor.

The mock drill was necessitated following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people lost their lives.