A sweeping wave of blackouts across more than 15 Indian cities on Thursday evening, including Chandigarh, Amritsar, Pathankot, and Srinagar, marked a sharp escalation in Indo-Pak tensions following cross-border drone and missile attacks. Pakistan’s attempted strikes on Indian military installations prompted immediate retaliation and enhanced defensive posturing by Indian forces. Civilian areas were urged to switch off lights and stay indoors amid sirens and emergency alerts.