Just hours after India and Pakistan announced a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, multiple explosions were reported across Srinagar on Saturday evening, prompting a sharp reaction from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar!!!” the former CM posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), capturing the public’s shock and concern.
The ceasefire, announced earlier in the day, was expected to halt all military operations on land, at sea, and in the air from 5 PM IST. However, soon after, Srinagar witnessed loud explosions that triggered air raid sirens across the city and a widespread blackout. Residents were sent into a state of panic as similar incidents were also reported in North Kashmir’s Baramulla and Central Kashmir’s Budgam districts.
The disturbance came despite Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirming a formal agreement between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations. According to Misri, Pakistan’s DGMO reached out to his Indian counterpart at 3:35 PM on Saturday. During the conversation, both sides agreed to cease all hostilities effective 5 PM. “Instructions have been issued on both sides to give effect to this understanding,” Misri said, adding that another round of talks is scheduled for May 12 at noon.
Meanwhile, similar precautionary measures were implemented outside Kashmir as well. In Punjab’s Firozpur, the district administration enforced a total blackout, urging citizens to turn off all lights and remain calm. “There is no need for panic,” officials said in a public advisory, instructing residents to follow established safety protocols.
The abrupt escalation came in the wake of heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, which had intensified following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, most of them tourists. In response, India had launched ‘Operation Sindoor,’ targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Saturday’s ceasefire was welcomed internationally, with US President Donald Trump taking to Truth Social to claim credit for mediating the agreement. “After a long night of talks… I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE,” Trump posted, congratulating both nations for “using common sense and great intelligence.”
However, the latest explosions cast a shadow over the agreement’s durability and raised fresh concerns about the volatile situation in the region.
Sources By Agencies
