All districts of Punjab that border Pakistan have been put on high alert and the state government has cancelled public events, PTI quoted minister Aman Arora as saying on Wednesday.

This came after the Indian military earlier on Wednesday carried out strikes on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Nine sites were targeted under Operation Sindoor.

The Pakistan Army retaliated by shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Twelve civilians and an Indian soldier were killed in the firing.

In light of the developments, Arora, who holds the state’s information and public relations ministry, noted that Punjab shares a 532-km border with Pakistan.

“Therefore, during any military tension, the role of the Punjab government becomes extremely crucial,” PTI quoted him as saying. “All districts near the border have been placed on high alert, and for public safety, the government has cancelled all types of public events.”

The police are fully prepared as the second line of defence, said the state minister. “Punjab Police is providing full support to the Indian Army and working together on future preparations,” he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader appealed to the residents of Punjab to adhere to all government orders to ensure public safety, the news agency reported.

At least 26 persons were killed in Pakistan in India’s strikes, reported AFP. Islamabad claimed that the strikes killed and injured several civilians and called the operation a violation of its sovereignty.

India has said that the strikes “targeted only those who killed our innocent persons”.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that Operation Sindoor was carried out with “precision, alertness and humanity” to ensure that civilians were not affected. He reiterated India’s position that the action was “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”.

Pakistan’s National Security Committee said on Wednesday that it had authorised its armed forces to respond to Operation Sindoor.

The Indian armed forces said that they were fully prepared to respond to “Pakistani misadventures” that could escalate the hostilities between the two countries.

The terror attack at the Baisaran area near Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22 left 26 dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.

India and Pakistan had fired diplomatic salvoes at each other following the Pahalgam attack, such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and bilateral trade, and expelling diplomats.

Pakistan has repeatedly violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control since the Pahalgam attack, prompting retaliation from the Indian Army.