Punjab Woman Killed in Pakistani Drone Strike – First Civilian Death Outside J&K

In a tragic escalation of cross-border tensions, a 50-year-old woman from Punjab’s Ferozepur district has died after being severely injured in a Pakistani drone strike—the first civilian fatality reported outside Jammu and Kashmir in such incidents.

According to PTI, Sukhwinder Kaur succumbed to burn injuries at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana following the drone strike that hit her home on May 8. The drone, reportedly intercepted by Indian air defence around 9:30 p.m., crashed onto Kaur’s house in Khai Pheme Ke village while she was seated in an open-air lobby.

Debris from the downed drone landed on a car parked nearby, igniting a fire that caused serious injuries to Kaur, her husband Lakhwinder Singh, and their son Jaswant Singh. While Kaur later died from her injuries, both her husband and son remain hospitalized and are receiving treatment.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for Kaur’s family and expressed condolences. “Our government stands firmly with her family during this time of immense pain, and we are committed to providing all possible support,” Mann stated.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora also extended financial support, pledging ₹2 lakh for the grieving family.

On May 9, officials confirmed that three members of the Ferozepur household had sustained burn injuries due to the drone crash. “We received information about three people being injured. They have burn injuries. Doctors will treat them. Most of the drones have been neutralised by the army,” said SSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu.

While India and Pakistan later agreed to a ceasefire following several days of confrontation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that the pause in hostilities is conditional and hinges on Pakistan’s future actions.