New Delhi [India], May 28 : Civil defence exercise "Operation Shield" scheduled for May 29 in border districts of Rajasthan has been postponed due to administrative reasons, as per an order by the Rajasthan Home Department.
The next dates for the exercise will be issued subsequently.
Earlier on Wednesday, a notice issued by Tina Dabi, District Collector of Barmer stated that a mock drill would be conducted in four border districts of Rajasthan Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner on May 29.
Sirens will be sounded during the drill, and emergency response systems will also be tested.
Civil defence authorities have begun preparations for the exercise, and instructions are being sent to all concerned districts. Special arrangements are being made in Jaisalmer district, which shares a border with Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Additional District Collector Paras Ram Tok stated that the exact time and location of the mock drill in Jaisalmer is yet to be decided, for which a meeting will be held.
It is worth noting that a similar mock drill was conducted earlier on May 7, in 28 cities across Rajasthan to prepare for potential air raids after the launch of Operation Sindoor by the Indian armed forces.
In the earlier mock drills conducted in the country, air raid warning sirens were activated to alert the public, and a blackout was imposed at night.
Operation Sindoor targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation was a retaliatory response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including one Nepalese national.
Hours after India conducted a series of strikes on terrorist sites in Pakistan and PoJK, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh held a media briefing in the national capital to share the details of the Operation.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who briefed the media alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, stated that 'Operation Sindoor' was launched to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families.
India has carried out its deepest strikes inside Pakistan's undisputed territory since 1971, successfully targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This marks New Delhi's most significant military action within Pakistani territory in over five decades.