Multiple blasts rock Pakistan's Lahore day after Operation Sindoor; people rush home in fear: Report

Three explosions were heard in quick succession in Pakistan's Lahore on Thursday prompting residents to rush out of their homes in fear, ARY News reported, citing police. The authorities have sealed the area and unrelated people have been restricted from entering the area as bomb disposal and intelligence teams have started their preliminary investigations. 

 The incident comes a day after Indian armed forces launched missile strikes targeting nine terrorist locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Noting that, explosions occurred within moments of each other, Lahore Police said, “The blasts were so loud that people who were several kilometres away heard its sound and rushed to streets in confusion and fear.”

Emergency response teams, including Rescue and Firefighting units, have reached the site of the incident. Furthermore, the police have cordoned off the area, ARY News reported.

Local media reports also said sirens rang out and residents fled their homes following the explosion, which was heard in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad areas near Walton Airport. The area adjoins Lahore's posh central business district and the Lahore army cantonment.

It is still not clear what caused the explosion. However, investigations were being made to determine the nature and source of the explosions. 

In a strong retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, India's armed forces early Wednesday destroyed nine terror sites including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) using deep strike missiles in a 25-minute-long "measured and non-escalatory" mission. Codenamed 'Operation Sindoor,' the strikes came two weeks after 26 civilians were killed in the massacre in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

In Pakistan, meanwhile, most cities restored some normalcy and children returned to school, but in the border province of Punjab, hospitals and civil defence authorities remained on high alert

Pakistan closes its airspace for all commercial flights at Lahore, Islamabad

Pakistan on Wednesday closed its airspace for all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports.

“The country’s airspace is closed for all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports,” said the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) in a statement late Wednesday night. The Karachi airport is however operational.

Pakistan earlier on Wednesday announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The PAA said that it has formally conveyed its concerns to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding the “serious risks” posed to civil aviation safety by India’s “reckless and provocative actions”.