Former Indian Army officer Khushboo Patani has shared dos and don’ts during mock drills amid escalating tension following India’s retaliatory air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.
In preparation for hostile situations, drills will be conducted in 244 districts across India on May 7, the ministry of home affairs said in a statement earlier this week.
Khushi, who is the elder sister of Bollywood actress Disha Patani, asked viewers in a video to not panic during the mock drills and informed everyone about how to act promptly during air raids and blackouts.
What should you do when you hear air raid sirens?
Thirty-three-year-old Khushboo, an ex-major in the Indian Army, began her video by mentioning that mock drills are conducted to ensure minimum damage is caused to the civilians in a country. One should act promptly during such situations and try to find a safe spot, she said.
If you are at home, you should try to hide in a strongly-built room on the ground floor or the basement. Underground parking lots can be used as bunkers during such times, she added. Those who are outdoors must find an open ground, and try to avoid crowded places.
What to do during blackout drills?
Khushboo explained that you must turn off all the lights in houses and draw the curtains during blackout drills. She also suggested keeping flashlights handy during such raids. Blackout drills were conducted during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, Khushboo said.
How to evacuate
People must evacuate their houses only after their local authorities alert them. In preparation for the evacuation, one should keep a small bag ready with all their essential items like cash, water bottle, powerbanks, first-aid kits and other important documents.
“Mushkil waqt. Commando Sakt. Mock Drills For Civ Defence. Kindly practice for any adverse conditions,” Khushboo, who hails from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, captioned her Instagram video.
The situation so far
More than 80 terrorists linked to Islamist militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen have been killed in Indian air strikes, as per reports.
In Pakistan Army’s retaliatory attack along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, seven civilians, including a woman and two children, were killed and 38 were injured, according to PTI.
The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting Pakistan and PoK territories including Bahawalpur, a well-known Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold, on May 7 night, the Indian Army confirmed in a statement at 1.44 am.
The late-night strikes came days after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly Indian tourists.
