Schools shut across six border districts in Punjab following 'Operation Sindoor'

Amid soaring tension between India and Pakistan, all schools in six border districts of Punjab remained shut on Thursday, officials said.

The schools were closed in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts, they said.

Tensions escalated after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The Tarn Taran deputy commissioner issued an order that said all schools in the district will remain closed from May 8 till 11.

In Ferozepur, the authorities ordered closure of schools for the next 72 hours till further orders, officials said.

Schools in Fazilka would also remain closed till further orders, they said. India carried out the cross-border military strikes early Wednesday under 'Operation Sindoor', two weeks after the massacre of 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam.