Initial analysis suggested the drones were loaded with high-explosive payloads, aiming to maximise damage — a move India described as a continued provocation from Pakistan.

Blasts rang out across Indian Kashmir and the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in neighbouring Punjab state late on Friday, with the Indian military saying it was shooting down drones in the worst fighting with Pakistan in nearly three decades.

The people of Kashmir have for decades been caught in the middle of the bitter rivalry between Pakistan and India over the disputed Himalayan region they call home