Amritsar/New Delhi: Amid high tension between India and Pakistan post-Pulwama terror attack, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a major combat drill on Thursday night over Punjab and Jammu.

The major exercise in which all major fighter jets and aircraft participated intended to check the preparedness of IAF for taking on Pakistan’s misadventure to intrude Indian air space.

According to senior officials, Indian fighter jets also flew at supersonic speed in the bordering area of Punjab and Kashmir.

IAF drill, however, left the people of Amritsar who heard two ‘blast’ as sound post-midnight puzzled. The social media website remained abuzz with several theories related to the loud noise. #Amritsar was trending on Twitter on Friday morning. However, police and administration were quick to respond that “everything was fine”.

 

“I appeal to the people to not believe in rumours on social media. Everything is okay, as per our information nothing has happened,” Jagjit Singh Walia, ADCP Amritsar told media.


According to experts, loud noise is created because of the sonic booms of large supersonic aircraft. The noise is particularly loud and startling, tends to awaken people, and may cause minor damage to some structures.

IAF’s exercise came just two days after Pakistan provoked Indian forces by sending two fighter jets close to Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector on Tuesday night.

Pakistani jets not only came close to Indian air space but also went supersonic near LoC causing a loud noise due to a sonic boom. The blast like sound also created panic among the locals.

Following the incident, India’s air defence system has been put on high alert.

IAF has already kept all the air stations and important installations on Passive Air Defence Mode (PADM). IAF headquarters has also cancelled leave permits even to officials who are currently on leave.

The Army and IAF headquarters have issued classified directions to all stations, particularly active flying, base repair depots, and equipment depots, to up their efforts to make spares available at very short notice to meet war requirements.