India, May 8 -- Authorities conducted extensive mock drills across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as part of a nationwide civil defence exercise initiated by the Union ministry of home affairs.

The initiative comes in response to emerging security threats, particularly following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and rising tensions with Pakistan.

The drills simulated emergency scenarios such as fire incidents, rescue operations, airstrikes and blackout situations aimed at testing and improving the preparedness of civil and emergency response systems.

In Punjab, mock drills were held in Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali. In Ludhiana, a comprehensive ...