Srinagar, May 28 -- The exercise comes just weeks after the country's first such drill since 1971, held hours before the launch of Operation Sindoor - a retaliatory military strike following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

The upcoming drills, to be held in Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir, have been ordered by the Union government and will simulate emergency scenarios such as air raids, blackouts, and mass mobilization of civil defence resources. These states, sharing sensitive borders with Pakistan, bore the brunt of cross-border aggression during the recent conflict, prompting heightened vigilance.

Sirens will be sounded in key border districts, followed by brief blackout periods and emergency response checks. The d...