A high alert was sounded in Delhi, and all city government employees` leaves were cancelled as hostilities ramped up between India and Pakistan, with several border areas, including Jammu, coming under cross-border shelling. Strollers at India Gate, the iconic war memorial, were asked to leave, and traffic there regulated. Announcements were made by police, asking people to vacate the area.

District magistrates held meetings with their subordinates to review health and disaster management preparedness in case of any emergency, officials said. "Police will stay alert and will keep active. Night vigil has been intensified. We will deploy extra force in every sensitive area," a police officer said.