Lahore/New Delhi, May 8 – A loud explosion was heard in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore early Thursday, local broadcaster Geo TV and a Reuters witness reported, a day after India said it conducted targeted strikes on terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The cause of the explosion, which rocked the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad neighborhoods near Walton Airport, remains unclear. Sirens were heard across parts of the city and residents were seen evacuating their homes, local media reported.
Flight operations at major Pakistani airports—including Lahore, Karachi, and Sialkot—have been temporarily suspended. Authorities have not confirmed whether the disruption is linked to the explosion.
The incident follows India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, a retaliatory strike in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindus.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the military action as a “precise and restrained response” aimed at nine terror infrastructure sites. Officials stressed the operation avoided civilian, economic, or military installations, and was designed to be “non-escalatory.”
Pakistan denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned India’s move as a “cowardly attack” and vowed a “befitting response,” warning that “the enemy won’t be allowed to achieve its goals.”
The renewed tensions have rattled financial markets. Traders noted weakness in non-deliverable forwards on the Indian rupee amid fears of further escalation. Pakistan International Airlines said the country had closed its airspace as a precautionary measure.
