Faridkot, December 1

Panic spread among the residents of Thara and Maur villages on the Muktsar road this morning following an Army drill about which even the district administration and police were not aware.The residents started fleeing the villages after they saw heavily armed persons in Army fatigue. Since the South Indian Army jawans were facing difficulty in communicating with the residents, the latter ran towards “safer locations”.It all started when some morning walkers spotted the Army men on the outskirt of the villages. In view of the escalated tension between Indian and Pakistan and the Nabha jailbreak, the panicky residents raised alarm.Sarbjit Singh, sarpanch, Thara village, said: “I immediately brought the matter to the notice of the SSP Faridkot and Kotkapura.”Police force was rushed to Thara village, but the police later found out that the “suspects” were jawans from Faridkot cantonment. The Army authorities maintained that it was a routine training. Charajit Singh, officiating SHO, Sadar police station, Kotkapura, said they had no prior information about it. — TNS