Rajasthan On High Alert After Jaisalmer Drone Strikes; Trains Cancelled, Blackout Extended

Jaipur: After the drone attacks in Jaisalmer on Thursday night, the security arrangements have been beefed up in all the border districts of Rajasthan including Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sriganganagar, Bikaner and Phalodi. The blackout hours have been extended in these districts, while several trains to these areas were cancelled or rescheduled.

There were reported drone attacks in Jaisalmer on Thursday night which were successfully neutralized by the armed forces and considering this, the whole border area of the state has now been put on high alert.

The border districts have extended the blackout hours up to 12 hours with markets got closed at 5 pm in Jaisalmer and Barmer.

All public programs have been cancelled in Jaisalmer. The police have blocked the city and all the vehicles are being checked. Every suspicious activity is being monitored.

Lighting and DJ have also been banned in wedding ceremonies and religious programs in Sriganganagar. Hostels have been vacated in Bikaner. Apart from this, colleges, coaching centers and libraries will remain closed in Jaisalmer-Barmer and Bikaner until further orders.

At the same time the leaves of all the employees of the state government have been cancelled. The Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has allocated extra funds to the border districts for contingency procurement. An all party meeting has been called on Saturday and the ministers have been asked to reach their respective districts to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, the North Western Railways on Friday cancelled four trains and rescheduled five in Rajasthan.

Trains going to and from Munabao, a village close to the International Borders in Rajasthan, are among those that stand cancelled.

North Western Railway CPRO Shashi Kiran said that the railways had taken this step as a precaution due to blackout and emergency conditions on the border.