The night sky over Srinagar, the heart of Indian-administered Kashmir, erupted in chaos Saturday as loud explosions echoed across the city, accompanied by sightings of projectiles and wailing air sirens amid a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Journalist Umar Mehraj, reporting to Al Jazeera from the ground, described a tense scene: “I saw projectiles streaking through the sky—whether missiles or air defences intercepting attacks, it’s unclear.
Similar blasts are reported in Baramulla and Jammu.” As power outages plunged parts of the city into darkness, residents fled for safety, gripped by uncertainty.
Mehraj’s account, punctuated by the roar of explosions heard earlier Saturday and in the afternoon, painted a city on edge. “The situation is very tense,” he said, unable to confirm casualties but noting the widespread panic.
Multiple Srinagar residents corroborated the reports to Al Jazeera, describing a series of deafening blasts that shattered the fragile calm of the region. The outages, affecting neighbourhoods across the capital, deepened the sense of crisis.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X, his words raw with alarm: “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!” His post, amplifying the shock of a potential breach in the recently brokered India-Pakistan ceasefire, underscored the gravity of the moment. The source of the explosions—whether drone strikes, missiles, or defensive intercepts—remained unconfirmed, leaving authorities scrambling for answers.
For Srinagar’s residents, the blasts were a jarring reminder of the region’s volatility. “We heard the booms and ran to our basement,” said Ayesha, a schoolteacher, her voice trembling over the phone. “The sirens wouldn’t stop.” The projectiles Mehraj witnessed sparked fears of renewed cross-border hostilities, especially after recent reports of drone attacks in Jammu. Social media buzzed with videos of glowing streaks in the night sky, shared by locals in Srinagar and beyond, though none clarified the cause.
The timing is critical. Just hours earlier, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had praised Indian and Pakistani leaders for agreeing to a ceasefire, mediated by US President Donald Trump. Abdullah’s outcry suggests that fragile truce may be unravelling, threatening to reignite tensions in a region long scarred by conflict. “Everyone’s on edge,” said Mehraj, noting similar reports from Baramulla, 50 kilometres north, and Jammu, further south.
As power flickered and sirens wailed, the lack of clarity fuelled anxiety. Were these attacks linked to the India-Pakistan standoff, or something else entirely? The blackout, affecting hospitals and homes, compounded the chaos, with emergency services stretched thin. “We’re waiting for official word, but it’s terrifying,” said Bilal, a shopkeeper in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. For now, Kashmir’s capital holds its breath, caught between hope for peace and the spectre of violence.