Pakistan launched fierce missile and drone attacks on Indian military bases along Line of Control, claiming 40-50 Indian soldiers killed, said Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Tarar during a parliamentary speech Thursday.

Indian media NDTV reported loud explosions rocking Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and other border cities late Wednesday night, prompting blackouts in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu-Kashmir.

Local officials told PTI news agency massive blasts echoed, followed by brief silence, then nearly hour-long explosions. NDTV noted rockets crossing international border Thursday evening, triggering air raid sirens in border cities.

Authorities ordered complete blackouts to protect civilian and military infrastructure. Pathankot in Punjab, just 30 km from Pakistan border, and Chandigarh, less than 50 km from Delhi, plunged into darkness.

Residents shared chilling visuals online, showing Pakistan missiles streaking across night sky, some exploding under Indian countermeasures. Indian outlet Anandabazar reported India destroyed eight Pakistani missiles targeting Jammu-Kashmir’s airport, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia areas.

Read more: India-Pakistan Border Conflict Escalates: Drone Attacks, Missile Strikes, and Rising Casualties

Tensions escalated after India’s missile strikes on Pakistan, prompting Pakistan’s retaliatory barrage. Both nations, nuclear-armed rivals, face growing fears of wider conflict as cross-border fire intensifies.