Lakhwinder Singh, a 65-year-old man from Punjab, has died nearly two months after sustaining injuries from debris of a Pakistani drone that was intercepted by Indian security forces. The incident occurred on May 9 in Khai Pheme Ke village, Ferozepur district, following India's Operation Sindoor. Singh's wife, Sukhwinder Kaur, had previously succumbed to her injuries on May 13, marking the first civilian death outside Jammu and Kashmir linked to cross-border hostilities.
On the morning of May 9, debris from the downed drone crashed into their home, causing a fire that engulfed their parked car and the house. Lakhwinder, Sukhwinder, and their son, Monu, sustained severe burns. They were initially treated at Ferozepur civil hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Ludhiana. Monu was later discharged, but Lakhwinder and Sukhwinder remained in critical condition. Lakhwinder Singh, who sustained 70% burns, passed away on Tuesday night at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana. His wife had suffered 100% burns.
Tensions between India and Pakistan had escalated following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in multiple deaths. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror-linked locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The drone activity surged around this time, with intrusions recorded in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Bathinda, and Amritsar districts. Authorities imposed temporary blackouts in some areas after explosions were heard.
Jaswant Singh alias Monu, the couple's son, who also sustained injuries, expressed his frustration with the situation. He pointed out that their house, car, and buffaloes were damaged in the incident. He said that both his parents are now gone and that the family has become victims of the Indo-Pak conflict through no fault of their own. He also stated that no one from the administration had arrived and that they had not even received the body.
Lakhwinder Singh is the second civilian casualty of drone strikes outside Jammu and Kashmir during the conflict between India and Pakistan.
