Following Pakistan’s attempted attacks on May 8 and fresh siren alerts the next morning, Chandigarh has imposed a ban on hoarding essential items like rice, wheat, sugar and fuel under the Essential Commodities Act. Traders have been instructed to report their inventory to the Department of Food and Supplies within three days. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose sharply on Thursday night when Pakistan launched missiles and drones targeting military locations in Jammu and several other states.

A notice issued by the Chandigarh District Magistrate mentions “It has come to notice that certain individuals, traders and entities are engaged in the hoarding and unauthorisd stockpiling of essential food items and fuel including petrol, diesel and other daily necessities in the Union Territory of Chandigarh."

In response, Chandigarh has enforced a ban on hoarding “to safeguard public interest and maintain smooth availability of essential goods,” given the current tense conditions, the notice says. The public has also been urged to report any cases of hoarding, black marketing, or unfair price practices.

The Indian Army announced that it had effectively pushed back several Pakistani attacks overnight on May 8 and 9, which involved drones and other weapons, along the entire western border. An Indian defence official reported that a minimum of eight missiles were launched from Pakistan targeting areas in Kashmir. He said they were all “intercepted and blocked by Air Defence Units.” The intended targets included the towns of Satwari, Samba, Ranbir Singh Pura, and Arnia.

On Thursday, the Indian military said it had successfully blocked Pakistan’s attempts to attack military bases in 15 cities across northern and western India using drones and missiles. In retaliation, Indian forces struck several of Pakistan’s air defence sites, including one in Lahore that was reportedly destroyed. This exchange came a day after India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a precision mission targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was in response to the deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. During an all-party meeting on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared that around 100 terrorists were killed in the strike.