JAIPUR: India is preparing to conduct an air exercise on the western border of Rajasthan. Other aircrafts have been advised to avoid this airspace for the next two days. The air exercise, which will begin at 9.30 pm on Wednesday, is expected to last for about five and a half hours. Services at airports located near the border have been cancelled.

The military exercise is being viewed as part of India's preparations to give a strong response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. The Union Home Ministry had asked states to prepare for mock drills. India had confirmed Pakistan's role in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. India took strong action after this.

India, which cancelled the Indus Water Treaty, had also stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens. The Pakistani army also conveyed a warning to their government that there would be an attack from India. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister had given the army complete freedom to retaliate in a high-level meeting held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence last week. He had also clarified that the army can decide the time, method and date of the retaliatory action.

Meanwhile, a person suspected of being part of the Pahalgam terror attack group has been arrested. The person has been identified as Ahmed Bilal. He was arrested near Baisaran Valley. The police are reportedly questioning him. It is learnt that he was wearing a bulletproof jacket. The police are investigating where he got the bulletproof jacket from. However, the family alleges that he has mental problems.