Chandigarh: In a tragic incident early Wednesday morning, a civilian lost their life and nine others sustained injuries when an unidentified aircraft crashed and ignited in Aklian Kalan village, located approximately 20 kilometers from Bathinda's district headquarters in Punjab.

Local authorities have refrained from commenting on the incident, indicating that any statements will come from defense officials. The area surrounding the crash site has been secured by defense personnel and police.

The deceased has been identified as Govind, a farm laborer from Haryana. The crash occurred around 2 a.m. in fields that had recently been harvested for wheat, near residential areas.

Witnesses reported seeing an aircraft flying at a low altitude before it crashed into the fields.

As locals approached the wreckage, an explosion occurred, resulting in one fatality and injuries to nine others.

An eyewitness recounted, “Upon seeing the burning aircraft, some individuals rushed to assist the pilot. As they approached, the plane exploded, injuring several.”

The injured were transported to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital, with one individual being referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bathinda.

Senior officials from the district visited both the crash site and the hospital, while police have been stationed at the district hospital.

In a related context, following India's military operations against terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, known as ‘Operation Sindoor’, two international flights headed for Amritsar were redirected to Delhi, and educational institutions near the Pakistan border in Punjab were closed.

Air India announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until noon.

Punjab authorities declared the closure of all schools, colleges, and educational institutions in areas adjacent to the international border with Pakistan.

While educational facilities in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts will remain closed for three days, those in Fazilka district will be shut until further notice.

Earlier today, in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, the Indian Army executed ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting nine significant terror sites deep within Pakistan.

This operation was conducted with precision, focusing on terrorist infrastructure linked to the groups responsible for the attack.

The strikes were part of India's retaliation to the April 22 terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 25 Indians and one Nepali national in Jammu and Kashmir.

An Indian Army spokesperson confirmed that the strikes were targeted, measured, and aimed at avoiding escalation. The identified targets were known terror camps and infrastructure situated in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.