Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to take stock of the rising tensions along the border. PM Modi reviewed the condition of citizens in the state’s border districts of Banaskantha, Patan, Kutch, and Jamnagar.

CM Patel, in a post on X, said that the PM also sought updates on the state’s preparedness and ongoing government activities.

Stay updated on India-Pakistan news with Livemint here

“The Honorable Prime Minister Shri @NarendraModi had a telephonic conversation with me and obtained details of Gujarat’s preparedness as a border state and the advance planning undertaken by the state government in the current situation of tension on the border and provided necessary guidance in this regard,” Patel wrote on X.

“The Prime Minister also obtained details about the adequate steps taken by the state government for the safety and security of citizens, especially in sensitive districts like Kutch, Banaskantha, Patan, Jamnagar, which are bordered by Pakistan,” he added.

7 hours blackout in border districts

A blackout of over seven hours was enforced in several parts of the border districts of Kutch and Banaskantha on Thursday night, news agency PTI reported.

Both Kutch and Banaskantha districts share a border with Pakistan.

Officials confirmed that several parts of Kutch, including Bhuj, Nalia, Nakhatrana and Gandhidham towns, were put under total blackout as a precautionary measure to deter any offensive gesture by Pakistan.

The lights went out around 10 pm on Thursday, and power was back after 5.30 am on Friday, they said.

Similarly, blackouts were declared in Suigam and 20 villages in its vicinity in the Banaskantha district, the report said.

India-Pakistan conflict

The Indian Army, during the intervening night of May 8 and May 9, successfully repelled and responded to multiple drone attacks by Pakistan along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials added that both the Indian Army and Air Force have deployed the missile system along the Pakistan border.

“The Made in India Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has been effectively used by the Indian armed forces in foiling Pakistani attacks towards Indian targets. Both the Indian Army and Air Force have the missile system all along the Pakistan border,” an ANI report, quoting defence officials, said.

A day prior to that, the Indian Armed Forces, under Operation Sindoor, had carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke, in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam.

(With inputs from agencies)