12,000 beds, ICUs ready: Uttarakhand hospitals on high alert amid border tensions

DEHRADUN: Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, the Uttarakhand government has placed all hospitals across the state on high alert. All leaves for the hospital personnel have been revoked in view of the incident. Acting on directives from the Central Health Ministry, Uttarakhand Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar has issued guidelines to designate 12,000 hospital beds across the state and ensure all ICUs and ventilators remain ready for use. In light of India's ongoing Operation Sindoor targeting Pakistan, heightened vigilance has also been extended to the Nepal and China borders adjoining Uttarakhand. After midnight, Indian Army aircraft were seen flying repeatedly over Dehradun, drawing the attention of residents. From 1 am to 3 am, the sound of low-flying Indian Air Force planes sparked curiosity, with many people stepping outside to observe the activity in the skies. Meanwhile, in a major escalation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), the Indian Army successfully shot down over 50 Pakistani drones during a massive counter-drone operation on Thursday night. Sources told ANI that Pakistan attempted to deploy swarm drones at multiple locations, which were swiftly intercepted and destroyed by Indian Army Air Defence units.Indian Army Air Defence units quickly mobilized and intercepted the drones across multiple regions, including Udhampur, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Nagrota, and Pathankot. Army units used a range of air defence weapons including L-70 guns, Zu-23mm guns, Schilka systems, and advanced anti-drone systems to counter the threat.In the aftermath of the incident, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X, stating, "On my way to Jammu to assess the situation following last night's thwarted Pakistani drone attack targeting Jammu city and other areas of the region." Locals living near the border described a tense night, with many reporting blackouts and prolonged retaliatory firing. "We saw 3-4 drones at around 8 pm. Firing continued throughout the night. Schools have been shut. We trust our forces and the Prime Minister," a resident told ANI. Despite the intensity of the attempted attack, no casualties were reported, and the Indian Armed Forces successfully defended civilian areas from aerial threats.