Panic gripped several areas of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday as loud explosions and emergency sirens were reported across regions including Akhnoor, Samba, and Kathua. According to a British news agency, multiple blasts sent shock-waves through local populations, triggering fears of escalation and forcing civilians to seek shelter.
Indian media outlets swiftly claimed the region was under attack, fuelling speculation of a cross-border strike — a narrative that has since been firmly rejected by security sources, who labelled the reports “baseless and manufactured.”
“There has been no verified attack in Jammu. These claims are part of a calculated propaganda campaign to paint Pakistan as the aggressor,” said a regional security official.
Authorities have reportedly imposed blackout conditions in parts of the area, heightening the sense of urgency and unrest. However, conflicting statements from Indian media and officials have only deepened the confusion.
Sources within the region suggest that India is attempting to engineer a justification for its ongoing aggression by spreading fake news of Pakistani strikes — a tactic they say is meant to stir nationalist sentiment and preemptively frame any future escalation.
“These false reports are designed to manufacture public support for more aggressive military posturing,” the source added. “There is no authenticity to these claims of Pakistani involvement.”
As tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours remain dangerously high, observers warn that India’s media-driven war narrative could spark unintended consequences — both on the battlefield and in the global arena.
