“It’s my earnest appeal to everyone in and around Jammu please stay off the streets, stay at home or at the nearest place you can comfortably stay at for the next few hours. Ignore rumours, don’t spread unsubstantiated or unverified stories & we will get through this together,” Mr. Abdullah said, in a post on social media platform X.

The Chief Minister said there were “intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, that can now be heard from where I am”. “Blackout in Jammu now. Sirens can be heard across the city,” he added.