A wave of fear swept across border villages in Amritsar as loud explosions jolted residents awake around 1 AM on Thursday. What followed was even more alarming-glowing lights in the sky, a sudden power outage, and scattered missile-like debris landing in fields and rooftops.

The shell of what looked like a missile was discovered in the villages of Jethuwal and Makhan Windi, along the Amritsar-Batala road. Villagers, terrified and confused, quickly informed the police. Soon, army teams arrived, sealing off the area and collecting the debris.

Witnesses described the chaos vividly. “There was panic all around. A metal piece fell in the fields and some on rooftops,” shared Parkash Singh, a local. Advocate Jaswinder Singh added, “The blast woke me up. Family and friends were calling non-stop, scared out of their minds.”

Amid escalating tensions after India launched Operation Sindoor-a military strike targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK in response to the Pahalgam attack-Amritsar, just 30 km from the border, has been on high alert. Authorities have also shut down the Amritsar airport indefinitely.

While police remain tight-lipped and protocols restrict comment, locals are demanding transparency. “People deserve to know what's happening. Silence only breeds fear,” said Singh.