BCAS instructs airports, airlines to enhance security measures amid escalating tensions: Sources

New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has instructed all airlines and airports across the country to enhance security measures, said Civil Aviation Ministry sources on Thursday.
All passengers at all airports will undergo secondary ladder point security check (LPSC). Visitor entry to terminal buildings has been banned. Air marshal will be deployed accordingly, the sources added.
This came after Pakistan targeted several Indian cities on Thursday evening.
Pakistan fired eight missiles directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia and all were intercepted and blocked by air defence units, defence sources said on Thursday.
The sources said visuals over Jammu resembled a Hamas-style attack on Israel using multiple cheap rockets. It appears that the Pakistan Army is operating and behaving like the terror organisation Hamas.
Explosions were heard as Indian air defence intercepted Pakistani drones in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistani drones were intercepted by Indian air defence in Jaisalmer. Explosions were heard and flashes seen in the sky.
A complete blackout has been enforced in Bikaner in Rajasthan and in Jalandhar in Punjab. Blackouts have also been enforced in Kishtwar, Akhnoor, Samba, Jammu, and Amritsar, Jalandhar.
India had responded to the Pahalgam terror attack through Operation Sindoor in which terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK was targeted through precision strikes. India also said that any attack on military installations will invite a suitable response.
At a media briefing on Thursday Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that escalation by Pakistan will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately.
"The original escalation was by Pakistan on the 22nd of April. We are the ones who are responding to that escalation with the action that was taken yesterday morning. And again, I would like to emphasize that the action was restrained; it was directed towards non-civilian, non-military targets; and confined to terrorist camps. And again, as we've been saying since yesterday, any further action by Pakistan, some of which we are seeing today is nothing but escalation by Pakistan now, once again, and will be responded to and is being responded to appropriately," he said.
Misri also said that India's intention has not been to escalate matters.
"We are only responding to the original escalations, as I said. And our response has been targeted, precise, controlled and measured. No military targets have been selected. Only terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan has been hit," he said.
Sources said the government informed an all-party meeting on Thursday that over 100 terrorists were killed in India's precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan early on Wednesday. (ANI)